In June of 2013, Robert “Bob” Ehlert went missing in Panama City, Panama. Ehlert was living in Panama at the time and was planning to sail his yacht around the world. He disappeared before the trip and has not been seen or heard from since.

Open source reports on 06/21/2013, a pair of friends staying with Ehlert at his Panama City condo returned to find him absent. Left behind was a note explaining that he had gone for two weeks with a friend known as “Diane” to examine potential real estate in an area of the Bocas del Toro, a collection of islands. His boat was docked at Shelter Bay Marina. The note was quickly sussed out as a forgery by family members, as the handwriting was clearly not Bob Ehlert’s.

Open source information indicates in 2014, Bob Ehlert was declared officially dead by the U.S. government. However, further reporting advised authorities had discovered numerous oddities in relation to Ehlert’s disappearance and the investigation in Panama is ongoing.

Some of the reporting indicates Ehlert may have been the victim of a scam involving two Columbian woman ,who Ehlert is reported to have met at the "Havana Club". 

Open source reports Ehlert’s car was missing, and a receipt from a hardware store showed Ehlert may have bought a sledgehammer, carpenter’s axe, pickaxe and spray paint. Ehlert's bank statements do not show any activity since he went missing, while his sailboat was still docked at a Panamanian marina.