Mayne, 27, absconded from the prison under a roller door, allegedly armed with a carving knife, on Monday morning.

More than 50 police were involved in a manhunt to capture the escaped inmate on the Eastern Shore of Hobart.

Mayne was charged on Monday night with escape, aggravated burglary, stealing  and destroying property, as well as assaulting the youth he came in contact with.

He was apprehended by police at 10.30am after swimming out to a yacht moored at Geilston Bay.

Inspector Doug Rossiter alleged that Mayne was armed with two knives, but the youth was not harmed.

An escape protocol was activated by prison staff about 8.30am, and the rescue helicopter was deployed to search bushland surrounding the prison.

‘‘All available police resources were deployed to the area and road blocks were established,’’ Inspector Rossiter said.

At 10.15am Mayne was sighted on a walking track near Geilston Bay and police pursued him on foot.

‘‘At that time he was in the company of a 16-year-old youth. That youth was secured, at which point the inmate entered the water just off Geilston Bay and swam out to a nearby mooring and boarded a yacht,’’ Inspector Rossiter said.

He said Mayne had attempted to cut the yacht from the mooring but peacefully surrendered to police a short time later.

Police divers searched the water off Geilston Bay to retrieve the knives allegedly used by Mayne.

Director of Prisons Brian Edwards said Mayne had reported for work in a vegetable processing facility at the prison as scheduled.

‘‘Mr Mayne was able to escape the secure confines of the facility via a roller door and then left the premises through an entrance which is used for deliveries,’’ Mr Edwards said.

‘‘Mr Mayne applied for parole in July 2015 but was refused, as the Parole Board felt that he needed more preparation prior to release.’’

In 2012 Mayne had four months’ jail time added to his sentence for robbing the Commonwealth Bank at Newstead after he tried to escape from the Launceston Remand Centre.

The breakout follows a series of incidents at the prison this year including a hostage situation and three deaths in custody.

The state government has been increasing prison staff numbers in the past two years to combat excessive overtime, and 22 new correctional officers started work this month.

Mr Edwards said an internal investigation into the circumstances surrounding Monday’s events was under way.

Mayne is expected to face court on the charges relating to his escape on Tuesday morning.