A 14-year-old American teenager reported missing from the Caribbean Princess cruise ship in Germany has been found safe, with authorities ruling out any criminal involvement in his disappearance.
The teenager, traveling with his grandmother, was discovered in Brandenburg, located roughly 150 miles south of the Rostock-Warnemünde train station and cruise terminal, where he was last seen.
Aydin Brown was part of a 12-night roundtrip cruise from Southampton, UK. The stop in Rostock-Warnemünde was the third port of call for the Caribbean Princess.
Brown disembarked from the ship on Thursday, July 4, between 7 and 7:30 a.m. but did not return. Surveillance footage from the nearby train station showed him with an unidentified individual, leading to speculation that the meeting was prearranged. However, details regarding their meeting have not been released.
Persistent efforts and public assistance led to Brown being found on Saturday, July 6, around 10 p.m.
The specifics of the procedural lapse that allowed a young teenager to leave the ship unaccompanied have not been made public. Princess Cruises is expected to review and amend their protocols to prevent similar incidents in the future.
