A 14-year-old American boy who walked away from the Caribbean Princess cruise ship after its scheduled stop at a German port more than three days ago has been found safe, his grandmother said Saturday.
Aydin Brown had been on the cruise with his grandmother, but left the ship after it docked at Rostock-Warnemünde on Thursday morning, authorities said.
State and local police on Saturday distributed three new photos of the teenager as their regional search remained underway. Two of the photos, captured from security video, included an unknown man who appeared to be speaking with Brown.
In an earlier statement, Rostock municipal police said they wanted to speak to the man or anyone who can identify him.
The two walked toward Warnemünde church square about 7:45 a.m., Thursday, police said.
Princess Cruises thanked German authorities for finding the teenager.
“We are delighted that Aydin Brown has been found safe and sound,” the cruise line said in a statement Saturday. “We extend our heartfelt gratitude to German authorities for their swift response and exceptional efforts in locating Aydin after he disembarked in Warnemunde last Thursday morning.”
The company said Brown has been reunited with family.
Brown’s grandmother left the ship Thursday night amid the first hours of the search for Brown, the cruise line said Friday, and the company flew his mother to Germany.
“We understand the distress this situation has caused and will continue to provide ongoing on-site support to the family during this challenging time,” Princess Cruises said at the time.
According to cruise ship tracker CruiseMapper, the 12-day journey travels the Baltic Sea, with destinations that include Copenhagen, Denmark and Stockholm, Sweden. The roundtrip cruise started in Southampton, England, on June 30 and was scheduled to return on July 12, according to the site.