A prisoner has escaped from Bastøy Prison in Norway. Officials confirmed the man remains missing Monday morning.
The inmate was last seen during a headcount Saturday at 2:20 PM. He was missing during the 8:30 PM roll call, according to prison authorities.
Prison director Bjørn Robert Orten Groven said they lack clear information about the escape method. The prisoner did not use the official prison boat.
"We have surveillance on the dock showing who boards and disembarks," Groven stated. "It takes considerable effort to swim across the fjord due to cold water and currents."
Bastøy Prison is Norway's largest low-security facility with capacity for 115 inmates. Only male prisoners serve sentences there.
The prison accepts inmates nearing the end of longer sentences. It occupies Bastøy island in the Oslofjord within Horten municipality.
The island functions as a small community with about 80 buildings. Facilities include a shop, church, roads, beach areas, soccer field, forest and school.
Prison officials have activated standard procedures following the escape. They are reviewing routines and action plans.
"This happens very rarely here," Groven noted. "We held a briefing today to examine our response."
Norwegian police have issued a nationwide alert for the escaped prisoner. Authorities declined to comment on specific search methods.
Bastøy Prison's island location typically provides natural security barriers. The escape raises questions about monitoring procedures at the low-security facility.
International readers should note that Scandinavian prisons often emphasize rehabilitation over maximum security. This approach sometimes creates unexpected vulnerabilities in otherwise well-regarded correctional systems.