American teen, 14, missing in Europe after family fears he was ‘lured’ from cruise ship
An American teenager vanished after going missing while on a cruise trip in Germany, authorities said — and family members fear he may have been “lured away.”
Aydin Brown, 14, was last seen around 7:30 a.m. on July 4 exiting a Caribbean Princess Cruise ship alone after it docked at the port of Warnemünde on the Baltic Sea — about two hours north of Berlin, according to Rostock Police. It is not yet known what state the boy is from.
Princess Cruises told Fox News it is “actively collaborating with German law enforcement on a missing person’s case involving a 14-year-old young man who disembarked from the Caribbean Princess in Warnemunde on Thursday morning without an escort.”
Anne Yaktiyol, a cousin of Brown, said in a social media post that his family believes he may have been coaxed away by a stranger.
“My worst nightmare continues to unroll,” Yaktiyol wrote. “Aydin remains missing. It appears once he left the ship in Warnemunde, Germany, he may have been lured away.”
Rostock police said that Brown and his grandmother, whom Brown was traveling with, got into an argument which led him to leave the ship, according to Fox News.
The teen’s grandmother left the ship Thursday night and is being assisted by Princess Cruises employees in Germany, the cruise line told NBC News.
The company has arranged for Brown’s mother to fly to Germany.
“We greatly appreciate the swift response and ongoing efforts of the local authorities in their search for the young man,” Princess Cruises said.
Police are looking for a witness who appeared on surveillance footage to be out with Brown on Thursday morning before his disappearance.
Authorities are asking the witness to report to the police as soon as possible.
Brown is described as approximately 5’8″ tall, with brown hair and brown eyes and weighing around 220 pounds.
He was last seen wearing a gray, zip-up hoodie and dark pants. He was also carrying a large black backpack with “AMAZON” written on the front.
