KEY POINTS:
Police in Paeroa have recovered a stolen ambulance taken from a Primrose St address in Hamilton at 5am today.
Paeroa is 75km from Hamilton.
The find was made about 9.30am on the Thames side of Paeroa, in Maratoto Rd, just off SH26.
Police sergeant Phil Caldwell said the person or people who had taken the ambulance had not been located.
The vehicle was found abandoned, he said.
"We're in the process of picking it up and taking it from the scene for forensic examination."
Senior Sergeant Marcus Lynam of Hamilton police earlier said the theft happened while ambulance officers were inside a house attending to a resident.
"The ambulance officer saw it driving off in the distance with the lights flashing."
Fortunately the person did not need to be taken to hospital, Mr Lynam said.
"That's the concern, if they needed to be taken away by ambulance it could have been a life threatening situation."
It looked like a crime of opportunity by someone walking past, Mr Lynam said.
Keys were normally left in the ignition of ambulances to avoid any delays in getting back to the hospital, he said.
- Additional reporting by NZPA
