HAY RIVER - An inmate escaped from a Hay River jail on Dec. 2, but was captured by the RCMP just before noon the next day.

The escapee was identified as Nathan Mark Betsedea, who also goes by the name Jonathon Mark Betsedea.

The 22-year-old from Fort Simpson walked away from the minimum-security South Mackenzie Correctional Centre during the night.

"The inmate essentially walked out of the building and left the grounds. Being that we're a minimum secure facility, those things can happen," said Quinn Groenheyde, deputy warden at the correctional centre.

Betsedea was found to be missing during a formal count of inmates at 9:15 p.m. on Dec. 2.

At about 11:15 a.m. on Dec. 3, he was arrested by the RCMP about 25 km south of Hay River, near the turnoff to Paradise Gardens along the highway to Enterprise.

According to the RCMP, he was taken into custody without incident.

Police said Betsedea was to be taken before a justice and will be given a court date to face a charge of escaping lawful custody.

Groenheyde could not reveal what offence or offences Betsedea was serving time for at the correctional centre.

"He's not serving for any violent offences," the deputy warden said. "He wouldn't be in a minimum security facility if he was serving for violent offences."

Groenheyde said, as a result of the escape, Betsedea will be transferred to the more secure North Slave Correctional Centre in Yellowknife.

Cpl. Robert Gallant of the Hay River RCMP said a police dog was used in the search.

The dog tracked the escapee from the correctional centre to a nearby area of town known as 553, then to Rowe's Trailer Park and then back toward the Rooster convenience store, where the scent was lost.

"It's hard for the dog to differentiate who's who and who's going where," Gallant said, referring to the high-traffic area at the Rooster.

The RCMP also received helpful information from the public, including from those who were following the progress of the search on police scanners.

"Basically, they were listening to what we were doing and people were trying to assist us in that," Gallant said.

In all, 10 RCMP officers were involved in the search, including members of four neighbouring detachments.

The RCMP is also investigating where Betsedea went during his escape and whether anyone may have helped him during that time.

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