Microsoft researcher Jim Gray is missing at sea while on a solo sailing trip. I hope Jim is found soon.
I met Jim randomly at a Microsoft event awhile back and had a highly memorable discussion with him about various technologies and the Tablet PC. He's not only smart as Robert Scoble points out, he's a genuinely nice person.
Other news covering Jim Gray:
Information Week: Jim Gray has "...teacher's patience with my questions."
San Francisco Chronicle: Jim "...apparently disappeared on a day cruise to the Farallon Islands."
Seattle Post Intelligencer: "The Coast Guard searched all night with a C-130 plane"