Updated Special Report:
Coast Guard Search Expanding Instead of Ending
February 1 - San Francisco
The U.S. Coast Guard will conduct one more
massive search effort for missing singlehander Jim Gray before
considering case suspension this evening. The experienced San
Francisco sailor has been missing since Sunday.
Based on excellent search conditions, unit
availability, and no indications of Dr. Gray's sailboat within
previously searched areas, the Coast Guard has decided to search
an expanded area today. The expanded search area will be out
to 300 miles west of the California Coast and as far south as
the Channel Islands. Probability calculations do not place Gray's
C&C 40 Tenacious within these expanded areas; however,
the areas are being searched based on the possibility that he
could have sailed farther than originally planned.
Tenacious, a red-hulled C&C 40, as she looked in her
slip at Gas House Cove on the San Francisco Marina.
Photo Sven Thorsten Dietrich
The Coast Guard will use numerous search
and rescue units from all along the California Coast in today's
extended search effort. Units will include two C-130 fixed wing
aircraft from Air Station Sacramento; HH-65 Dolphin helicopters
from Air Station Humboldt Bay, Air Station San Francisco, and
Air Station Los Angeles Long Beach; three 87-foot Coastal Patrol
Boats from Monterey, Bodega Bay, and Crescent City; 47-ft motor
life boats from Stations Noyo River, Bodega Bay, Golden Gate,
and Monterey.
If no leads develop during todays searches,
the Coast Guard plans to suspend the case this evening.
Gray's friends and family had planned to
launch a private search effort today had the Coast Guard effort
ended this morning. Phil Garrett just wrote to us, "We are
extremely thankful to the Coast Guard for the tremendous effort
they are making to find Jim, and we do not want to get in their
way.
"If your readers have any information
about the boat or see anything that might help us determine the
fate of Jim and his vessel we would really appreciate it. The
Coast Guard has been wonderful but it is a very big ocean and
their search has turned up little so far. Please ask your readers
to contact the Coast Guard if they have any information that
might help in the search. Thanks so much."
For more info, see the USCG 11th District's
news page, www.uscgsanfrancisco.com/go/site/823.
The Coast Guard Command Center can be reached at (510) 437-3700.
To summarize our Wednesday
report, experienced singlehander Jim Gray, 63, headed out
to the Farallon Islands alone on Sunday morning to scatter his
mother's ashes. He spoke to his family by cell phone before sailing
out of range. Tenacious is believed to have a liferaft
and EPIRB aboard, and the EPIRB has not been activated.
- latitude / cw
Missing sailor Jim Gray is an acclaimed computer scientist who
currently works as a researcher and manager of Microsoft Research's
eScience Group.
Photo Courtesy Gray Family
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