Naked escapee caught

An escaped prisoner in New Zealand who eluded police for a day by diving head-first off a cliff while near-naked and handcuffed, has been recaptured. A dreadlocked Werimu Rangi Hauraki, 34, was bundled into a paddy wagon, turning to waiting media to say, "Sorry, mum, sorry, whanau. I just wanted to be free..."

He had been on the run from police since Friday morning, having first fled from his burglary trial at Whakatane District Court. From there he made it into dense bush several kilometres away, and then to an Opotiki river nearly 50km away.

There he was recaptured and handcuffed – wearing only a piece of weed matting – but escaped from the arresting officer and dived head-first over a balcony and down a steep cliff.



Police dog teams were able to corner him at least twice and tried to negotiate with him to give himself up. But Hauraki again managed to slip away and was eventually sighted paddling around Opotiki in a canoe. Police then jumped in and arrested him.

Throughout the ordeal, police had warned locals not to approach Hauraki and Victim Support told some to lock their doors.

One resident said they were told "there was a hardly clad, dreadlocked fellow on the loose and it was a good idea not to let him in". She described the area he dived into as steep with lots of vegetation. "He was obviously a bit desperate."