Name: Richard Yerex
Case Classification: Endangered Missing
Missing Since: May 27, 1987
Location Last Seen: West Palm Beach, Palm Beach County, Florida
Date of Birth: October 19, 1930
Age: 56 years old
Race: White
Gender: Male
Height: 5'10"
Weight: 170 lbs
Hair Color: Gray or partially gray; thinning
Eye Color: Blue
Nickname/Alias: Unknown
Distinguishing Marks/Features: No facial hair
Dentals: Unknown
Fingerprints: Unknown
DNA: Unknown
Clothing: White short-sleeved shirt; gray pants; black shoes
Jewelry: Unknown brand watch
Additional Personal Items: Prescription reading glasses
Richard Yerex had retired as a captain in Ford Motor Company's air fleet to live in North Palm Beach and fly commuter planes to and from the Bahamas. He piloted a nine- passenger, Cessna Twin Engine 402 (propeller driven) tail # N2652B, out of Palm Beach International Airport at 8:05 on May 27, 1987. He was headed for Marsh Harbor on Abaco Island, Bahamas, where he was going to pick up tourists for a 50-minute return flight. His last transmission was near a weather balloon over Grand Bahama Island. He was supposed to arrive in Marsh Harbor at 8:50, but there was no sign of him. The plane did not carry a life raft. The Coast Guard was notified 25 minutes later, and a search party dispatched. Despite two full days of searching, scores of Coast Guard and Air Force jets were unable to find any sign of Yerex or the Cessna.
Yerex, a father of eight, has been flying for 35 years. As an Air Force pilot during the Korean War, he flew between Cape Canaveral and the Bahamas. After the war, Yerex flew as a cargo pilot for the Ford Motor Co. for 30 years. He retired in January 1987. Yerex had recently passed a thorough pre-flight physical.
Agency Name: Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office
Agency Contact Person: Missing Person Coordinator Vicki Smith
Agency Phone Number: 561-688-4151
Agency E-Mail: N/A
Agency Case Number: 87-94048
NamUs Case Number: 19481
NCIC Case Number: Unknown
Added: 5-20-2009; Last Updated: 01-26-2023 - By: kc
Questions or comments? Please contact appropriate member of the Area Team
** Listed information is from the time of disappearance.
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