A 47-year-old inmate who escaped from a hospital intensive care unit after suffering a heart attack has been recaptured, authorities said Wednesday, bringing an end to a multi-day police search.
The man was arrested during a police operation in a Roma settlement in northern Greece and is now back in custody under correctional authorities.
The inmate had fled on Monday from the ICU of a major hospital in Thessaloniki where he was being treated under guard following a cardiac episode. According to police, he managed to open a window in his room, move onto a neighboring balcony of the hospital from where he stepped out.
An officer who noticed the escape pursued him through the hospital grounds, but the suspect managed to evade capture. At the time, he was reportedly still connected to medical IV lines as he ran.
Authorities immediately launched a large-scale search operation, while also investigating how the escape was possible and whether there were lapses in security measures.
