Bastoy prison Norway
Bastoy island is seen from the ferry that travels from the mainland to Bastoy prison in Bastoy Island, Horten, Norway. Bastoy Prison is a minimum security prison located on Bastoy Island, Norway, about 75 kilometers (46 mi) south of Oslo. The facility is located on a 2.6 square kilometer (1 sq mi) island and hosts 115 inmates. Getty

A prisoner in Norway escaped in style using a surfboard and a toy spade.

The 23-year-old inmate who was serving time for rape and drug charges at the Bastoy prison reportedly climbed out of a window and surfed his way three kilometres to the shore.

"The escape was discovered this morning, when we saw a window was open," said prison manager Tom Eberhardt, reported The Local.

"We had an old surfboard standing in a shelter, so old that it is almost an antique. This is what he has stolen, and he took a toy shovel as well."

Norway's Bastoy prison is known world over for its exceptional facilities and laid back rules for prisoners.

"It is not very difficult to get away from Bastoy, and it happens fortunately very rarely. But we are concerned about security, partly because we are on an island and want to prevent people getting killed as they attempt to escape," said Eberhardt.

If caught, the prisoner will face his remaining sentence in a normal prison, according to Eberhardt.

Bastoy Prison
Beach fronts, rocky coasts, Rustic farms, tennis courts and saunas paint the setting for a perfect getaway; in Norway it’s the backdrop of the world’s nicest prison. Twitter

Most humane prisons

Norway is known to have the world's most humane prisons.

At Halden, a high-security Norwegian prison, approximately £7m was spent on paintings, photography and light installations to ease the psychological burdens of imprisonment, according to Time Magazine.

Bastoy Prison in Norway
A 36-year-old inmate sentenced to 16 years for murder and narcotics related crime is seen sun bathing in front of the wooden cottage where he lives in Bastoy Prison on April 11, 2011 on the Bastoy Island in Horten, Norway. Getty Images