A Los Olivos vintner who was critically injured in a horse riding accident last week has died, according to his family.
Larry Saarloos of Saarloos and Sons fell from his horse and tumbled down a ravine at Hollister Ranch on the Gaviota Coast April 14.
A county helicopter was used to hoist him from the area and to airlift him to Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital, according to the County Fire Department.
Saarloos, who reportedly had a broken neck, later was transported to UCLA Medical Center, where he underwent a five-hour surgery last week.
On Friday, one of his son, Keith Saarloos, posted an emotional video on social media about the family’s — and broader community’s — loss.
“They say you are a soul and you happen to have a body. My dad was done with his body,” Keith Saarloos said. “We will live to honor him and we will prepare the way for everybody yet to come.
“We will move forward each day and we will live in a way that makes him proud of who we are and what we do with our lives. He will never be forgotten by anyone.”
In addition to wines under their own label, Saarloos and Sons includes vineyards and a tasting room in downtown Los Olivos.
Referring to the video background of bucolic vineyards, Keith Saarloos said, “That right there is my dad. This is who he is.”
Survivors include Larry’s wife, Linda, sons Keith and Kirk, daughters-in-law, grandchildren, brother, nieces and nephews.
“We’re just a regular family that loves each other enough to put our names and faces on bottles and honor people with our work. We will continue to do so,” Keith Saarloos said.
The family has provided regular updates on Larry Saarloos’s condition and said they have appreciated the prayers from community members since the accident.
“Last night we lost a legend,” his son Kirk Saarloos said in a social media message. “He was my best friend, my mentor. He was an unbelievable example of what it looked like to be a husband/father/friend. He is no longer in pain and is with the Lord.
“He’s looking down with a cigar in his mouth holding court in heaven,” Kirk Saarloos added.
Keith Saarloos said a celebration of life will occur in the future with details to be finalized.
“Larry Saarloos is my father and I got to know my hero and I got to be his son. Me and my brother will pick up where he left off and it will be bigger, it will be better, it will be brighter and his legacy will endure,” Keith Saarloos added.
— Noozhawk North County editor Janene Scully can be reached at jscully@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.