On July 18, 1981, 23-year-old Rob Thomas Mourant, a recent business administration graduate, boarded an aircraft in Port Walter, Alaska, for a flight to Port Lucy. He was joined on the flight by Judy Riddell, Randall Riddell, and Norman Riddell. The aircraft, piloted by Rob's father-in-law, Dr. Norman Riddell, never reached its destination and was reported overdue. An intensive search was launched, but no trace of the plane or its occupants was ever found.
The rugged terrain and often severe weather of Alaska make aviation a challenging endeavor, and disappearances are an unfortunate reality of the vast landscape.
Rob Mourant was a promising and immensely popular student leader. He had served as the first student body president at both the University of Alaska Anchorage and the University of Alaska Southeast. A founding member of the statewide Alaska Student Lobby, his efforts resulted in funding for significant university projects. In the fall following his disappearance, fellow students began a campaign to name the student center then under construction in his honor. The University of Alaska Board of Regents approved the proposal, and the Mourant Building remains the only building at the University of Alaska Southeast named for a student.
The four individuals aboard the aircraft are presumed to be deceased. The plane is believed to have been lost somewhere off the west side of Chichagof Island. The case of Rob Mourant and the Riddell family is a somber reminder of the perils of aviation in the Alaskan wilderness, where unforgiving conditions can lead to tragic and unresolved disappearances. Despite the passage of time, the lack of any wreckage or remains leaves a lingering sense of uncertainty for the families and the community that held him in such high regard.Last Seen: Jul 18, 1981
