Missing American teen who left cruise ship in German port found safe

A 14-year-old American boy who walked away from the Caribbean Princess cruise ship after its scheduled stop in a German port more than three days ago has been found safe, his grandmother said.

Aiden Braun was on the cruise ship with his grandmother, but left the ship after it docked in the port of Rostock-Warnemünde on Thursday morning, authorities said.

Local and state police released three new photos of the teen Saturday as the regional search continues. Two of the images, taken from security video, show an unidentified man appearing to talk to Brown.

In an earlier statement, Rostock municipal police said they wanted to speak to the man or anyone who could identify him.

Police said the two men headed towards Warnemünde churchyard at around 7:45 a.m. Thursday.

Princess Cruises thanked German authorities for finding the teen.

“We are delighted that Aiden Brown has been found safe and sound,” the cruise company said in a statement on Saturday. “We are grateful to the German authorities for their rapid response and exceptional efforts in locating Aiden after he disembarked in Warnemünde last Thursday morning.”

The company said Brown had been returned to his family.

The cruise company said Friday that Brown’s grandmother left the ship Thursday night in the early hours of the search for Brown, 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 difficult time,” Princess Cruises said at the time.

According to the cruise ship tracker cruisemapperThe 12-day journey across the Baltic Sea will include destinations including Copenhagen, Denmark, and Stockholm, Sweden. The round-trip journey began in Southampton, England, on June 30 and was scheduled to return on July 12, according to the website.