‘My life flashed before my eyes’ says Virgin boss after bicycle crash in Caribbean

British billionaire Richard Branson said on Friday he thought he was going to die in a biking accident in the British Virgin Islands earlier this week in which he injured his cheek and tore some ligaments.

Virgin boss Branson, who has built a vast business empire and is known for his daredevil stunts, said the accident happened when he was cycling with his children, Holly and Sam, and hit a bump on a road on the Caribbean island of Virgin Gorda.

“The next thing I knew, I was being hurled over the handlebars and my life was literally flashing before my eyes,” the 66-year-old wrote in a blog post, accompanied by graphic photos showing his injuries.

“I really thought I was going to die,” he said, adding that the helmet he was wearing probably saved his life. The bike fell off a cliff in the accident.

Branson said he had travelled to Miami for hospital scans but would still be able to take part next month in the biking, hiking and running Virgin Strive Challenge that he was training for.