A prisoner who escaped custody during a visit to Waikato Hospital on Monday afternoon is still at large.
Although police said 48-year-old Damon Anderson was not considered an immediate risk to the public, they still urged people not to approach him, and instead report any sightings by calling 111.
Anderson was last seen wearing green shorts and was shirtless.
On Monday, Spring Hill general manager Scott Walker said Anderson was handcuffed and wearing a GPS monitor when he escaped.
Police could not say what time the GPS tracker went off due to operational reasons.
Walker said public safety was the prison’s top priority and any escape was unacceptable.
An immediate review into the latest incident would be carried out, as well as a review into last month’s escape.
“…We will be looking at what changes can be made to operational processes in light of the findings when they have been completed,” Walker said.
“Any escape is unacceptable and we are absolutely committed to learning from the reviews and doing everything we can to prevent a similar event from ever occurring again.”
Anderson was at the hospital for “medical oversight”, Corrections said.
They could not elaborate due to privacy reasons and it was unclear whether Anderson received any treatment before he absconded.
It is also unclear whether the escape was pre-planned or opportunistic.
Health New Zealand said it was working with police and corrections to ensure prisoners did not escape custody while at hospital in future.
On Tuesday, dramatic footage emerged showing how Anderson pulled off the daring escape when he climbed down the side of a hospital building.
The video showed Anderson climbing down a large pipe on the outside of what appears to be the delivery suite adjoining the Elizabeth Rothwell Building, on the north-eastern side of the Waikato Hospital campus.
Near the bottom he jumped to safety and jogged around a coroner onto a footpath in the direction of Selwyn Street, wearing only a pair of shorts.
A Corrections spokesperson maintained Anderson was handcuffed during the visit though his hands were visibly free in the footage, which appeared to have been taken by someone in a neighbouring hospital building.
In the footage Anderson can be seen wearing a GPS monitoring bracelet on his left ankle.
The Elizabeth Rothwell Building houses women’s and children’s wards along with geriatric and rehabilitation departments, and adjoins the delivery suite and maternity ward.
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