Terry Anderson, the American journalist held hostage for nearly seven years, has died at the age of 76 years during the civil war in Lebanon, the BBC reported.
Anderson was the Associated Press' (AP) chief Middle East correspondent when he was captured by Islamist militants in 1985 during the so-called Lebanon hostage crisis.
He died at his home in Greenwood Lake, New York, after complications from heart surgery, his daughter said.
Sulome Anderson stated that her father never liked to be called a hero, but everyone persistently defined him as such.
"I know he would choose to be remembered not for his worst experience, but for his humanitarian work with the Vietnam Children's Fund, the Committee to Protect Journalists, homeless veterans and many other incredible causes,'' his daughter said. .
Anderson, who saw combat action during his service in the US Marine Corps during the Vietnam War, was kidnapped in Beirut on March 16, 1985.
He spends much of the time blindfolded and forced to sleep on a thin, dirty mattress on the floor and later recalls that he "almost went mad" and believes that his Catholic faith saved him.
He was eventually released in 1991 when the civil war ended - after 2,454 days in captivity, making him the longest-held Western hostage.
Anderson first met his daughter, born shortly after his abduction, when she was six years old.
After his release, Anderson taught journalism at various American institutions of higher education, including New York's Columbia University, before retiring in 2015.