Jim Gray Is Missing

K-Man writes "Jim Gray, Turing Award winner and developer of many fundamental database technologies, was reported missing at sea after a short solo sailing trip to the Farallon Islands off San Francisco. Gray is manager of Microsoft's eScience group. The Coast Guard is searching for his vessel over 4,000 square miles of ocean, and there have been no distress calls or signals of any kind. Gray is 63 and a sailor with 10 years' experience."

Comments

Was using MS Sailor 2007 XP

[kbob88]

Cue up the jokes about how he shouldn't have automated his sailboat using Windows. Now facing the Blue Wave of Death.

Seriously though, there's a good chance he's OK. The weather out here has been great today, and he hasn't been gone that long. One of the following probably happened:

• Something broke and he's drifting around out there, probably to be spotted fairly soon as there's plenty of ship traffic and the Coasties are looking;
• Got blown off course and had to put in somewhere remote on the coast (unlikely as the winds aren't bad);
• Navigation broke down, he missed the Farallons (although you can usually see them from shore on a good day), went too far out, and is down coming back;
• Hit a whale / whale hit him -- not good, could sink the boat; hopefully he had a liferaft and was able to get into it;
• Hit by a ship (it's busy out there); definitely not good; but unlikely as weather has been very good
• Accidently fell overboard -- very bad, especially with our cold water here. That's why you don't make ocean passages alone, no matter how experienced you are.

Re:It's OK

[DrRevotron]

For a second there, I thought Slashdot would drop this stupid anti-Microsoft bullshit and at least show some compassion.

Re:Sickening

[LordLucless]

"Life does not cease to be funny when people die any more than it ceases to be serious when people laugh."
        - George Bernard Shaw