Mike Kalahar, a Port Angeles resident and well-known sailor with ties to Sequim, was rescued from a boat about 1,400 miles southwest of San Diego, Calif, when he sustained head and larynx injuries on April 1.

The  U.S. Coast Guard and California Air National Guard responded, sending four rescue workers via a C-130 “Hercules” aircraft to Kalahar, who was aboard the Sequim-based vessel Wind Child.

Kalahar, 56, reportedly was injured when a gust hit and sent the sailboat’s boom across the boat. The heavily-loaded lines that trim the mainsail pinned him by the throat against the bulkhead and jammed the back of his head against a winch.

As of early this week, Kalahar reportedly was recovering at a hospital in San Diego.

Family members credit Kevin Hendricks, who was steering Wind Child at the time, for helping save Kalahar’s life.

According to the U.S. Coast Guard, the four remaining crew members aboard the Wind Child — Hendricks, boat owner Rudy Hessels, Lawrence Hettick and Dave Taylor — plan to continue the voyage. Kalahar is not the captain of the vessel and the boat did not sustain any damage, according to the report.

As of Wednesday, the Wind Child's position on the Pacific Ocean:


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Click on the video box above to view video of Pararescuemen from the 129th Rescue Wing California Air National Guard prepare to jump from the rear door of a Coast Guard C-130 Hercules airplane approximately 1,400 miles southwest of San Diego April 1, 2010.  U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Henry G. Dunphy. Video by US Coast Guard.

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