Posted on 07/02/2012 11:41:58 AM PDT by South40
(Reuters) - Alan Poindexter, a two-time shuttle astronaut, has died after a jet ski accident in Pensacola, Florida, NASA said on Monday.
"The NASA family was sad to learn of the passing of our former friend and colleague Alan Poindexter," NASA wrote in a Facebook post. “"Our thought and hearts are with his family."
Poindexter, 50, was riding jet skis with his two sons in Little Sabine Bay at Pensacola Beach on Sunday when the accident occurred, officials from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission told the Pensacola News Journal.
(Excerpt) Read more at reuters.com ...
What a tragedy. That is John Poindexter’s son (Reagan’s Natl. Security Advisor). He was an accomplished fellow and the same age as my oldest son.
Could that have been said in a different way?
I’ve heard a major cause of these jet ski accidents is becasue when the rider sees he is heading for some obstruction at a high rate of speed he instinctive lets off the gas to slow down. Trouble is if you let off the throttle you lose your ability to steer and plow right into the obstacle. Don’t know if that’s still the case but I remember years back some baseball player killing himself on one of those things and authorities saying that’s what caused it.
Poindexter was currently the Dean of Students at the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, CA (where our son is a student). God, comfort the family (his son was piloting the jet-ski that ran into his father’s jet-ski) and God, bless America!
“...A Ramblin’ Wreck from Georgia Tech and a helluva engineer....”
RIP
Need prayers, not thoughts or hearts.
I immediately wondered if they were kin.
Well, that’s not completely correct. As long as the craft is still moving forward it can be steered. However, like all watercraft, including boats, there are no brakes and coming to a stop is very different than a typical land vehicle. Additionally, maintaining some type of forward propulsion with watercraft (not totally releasing the throttle) allows you to swing the nozzle and piviot the craft, usually out of an on coming object.
RIP.
My father went to Naval Postgraduate School. I was born there!
What a sad situation. I will pray for all of them. I saw the article and said, “Oh, 50 ... not a young man,” but my husband will be 50 this December!
Yep. YOu have to let off enough to get drag on fore of craft to slow it and shortly before the object gas it and turn steadily but quick.
A sharp turn will yaw you overboard.
Jet-ski operators have a well deserved bad reputation.
Kill your father with one? Horrible.
Grated on my ear as well but PR Flacks are apparently not graded on grammar when they post to social web sites. I was, probably like you, taught to try out these conjunctions seprately before joining them in order to avoid such errors.
Would have been better with "... our friend and former colleague ..."
I don't know why you're saying that. If no water is being forced through the impeller there is next to no steering.
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