Daredevil billionaire businessman Richard Branson nearly lost his life after crashing on his training bicycle.
Sir Branson told of the horror moment he feared he would die after smashing head-first onto the road during a high speed bike crash.
The adventurous tycoon was on a training cycle run with his two grown up children on the British Virgin Islands when disaster struck.
“I went cycling on Virgin Gorda with Holly and Sam as part of my training for the Virgin Strive Challenge,” Branson said. “I was heading down a hill towards Leverick Bay when it suddenly got really dark and I managed to hit a ‘sleeping policeman’ hump in the road head on.
“The next thing I knew, I was being hurled over the handlebars and my life was literally flashing before my eyes.”
The accident-prone Virgin boss – who escaped a run-in with a deadly stingray just a few months ago – said he genuinely thought he’d finally run out of lives.
“I really thought I was going to die. I went flying head-first towards the concrete road, but fortunately my shoulder and cheek took the brunt of the impact, and I was wearing a helmet that saved my life,” he said.
“My bike went flying off the cliff and disappeared. We’ve since recovered the crumpled bicycle, completely destroyed. My cheek has been badly damaged and my knee, chin, shoulder and body severely cut.
X-rays reveal he had suffered a cracked cheek and some torn ligaments.
“I travelled to Miami for x-rays and scans, but have been extremely fortunate that apart from a cracked cheek and some torn ligaments I hopefully will be able to complete the Virgin Strive Challenge next month. “My biggest hardship is having to drink tea out of a straw. Oh, and being called elephant man by a six year old! (The Sun)
[crp]
Leave a comment