A Port Angeles man is recovering in San Diego after a sailboat’s boom pinned him against the bulkhead during a wind gust.
Michael Kalahar, 56, was sailing with a group of friends on the Wind Child across the Pacific Ocean when his head, larynx and tongue were injured on April 1, according to a group blog of his adventures, http://tinyurl.com/y9vqw6e.
The Coast Guard in San Diego, with the help of the California Air National Guard and amateur radio operators, took several swimmers to the boat who stabilized Kalahar, the Coast Guard said.
In a 28-hour procedure, the crew airlifted Kalahar to San Diego.
The other crew members were Kevin Hendricks, Rudy Hessels, Lawrence Hettick and David Taylor, according to the blog..
“Kevin was steering and caught one of these backwind gusts. Michael was sitting at the forward side of the cockpit,” the family and crew blog said.
“When the gust hit, the preventer failed and the boom swept across the boat.
“The heavily loaded lines that trim the mainsail pinned Michael by the throat against the bulkhead and jammed the back of his head against a winch.”
Hendricks grabbed the lines to free Kalahar.
“He called for all hands as he slid Michael down onto the cockpit bench. Michael at this point was unconscious and it was not clear he was breathing.
“In a perfectly calm and skilled manner, Kevin proceeded to clear his mouth and get Michael breathing again.”
Kalahar’s family wrote on the blog on Wednesday that he remained on a pureed diet, but that he is recovering.