New Zealand police recapture escaped naked prisoner

New Zealand police recaptured on Saturday a prisoner who escaped from custody near-naked and handcuffed a day earlier by diving head-first over a cliff.

New Zealand police recaptured on Saturday a prisoner who escaped from custody near-naked and handcuffed a day earlier by diving head-first over a cliff.

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Werimu Rangi Hauraki, 34, had only some weed-matting wrapped around him when he got away while being taken to a police station in Whakatane, a seaside town on the east coast of the North Island, on Friday.

Officers using police dogs and a helicopter spent most of Friday looking for him and cornered him twice but he evaded them, Radio New Zealand reported.

He was finally caught in a river in nearby Opotiki after a tip-off from members of the public.