Sir Richard Branson saw "his life flash before my eyes" during a bike crash close to a cliff edge that left him needing hospital treatment.

The Virgin founder suffered a badly damaged cheek and severe cuts to his body after crashing his bicycle during training on the island of Virgin Gorda.

Dramatic photos from the incident show a bloodied and bruised Sir Richard receiving emergency treatment at the scene after he missed a bump in the road and was thrust into the air, over the handlebars and onto the concrete.

"The next thing I knew, I was being hurled over the handlebars and my life was literally flashing before my eyes," he wrote in his blog.

(Virgin.com (Virgin.com)

“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 wrote. "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.”

(Virgin.com (Virgin.com)

Sir Richard also shared a series of photos showing heavy bruising around his eye and grazes to his cheek.

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“As I landed, once I realised I was alive, I began testing my movement,” he wrote. “I really couldn’t believe I was alive, let alone not paralysed.”

Sir Richard was bandaged up by his team before seeking medical treatment in Miami for a cracked cheek and torn ligaments.

Sir Richard Branson In Quotes Show all 6 1 /6 Sir Richard Branson In Quotes Sir Richard Branson In Quotes On Education 'My school report told a sad story. Should I have paid it too much attention, I would never have tried to achieve or succeed.' AFP/Getty Sir Richard Branson In Quotes On the youth: The opinions of the young are often cast aside, with claims that they are selfish, unknowing and ill-equipped to make important choices. This couldn’t be further from the truth,” PA Sir Richard Branson In Quotes On the refugee crisis: 'This is not just a humanitarian crisis, it is also a moral one.' Getty Sir Richard Branson In Quotes On what he would say to his younger self: 'The road ahead is pock-marked with many bumps, chasms and forks. There will be times where you want to give up and throw everything in. Don’t. By turning challenges into opportunities, you will find success you never realised you were capable of achieving. But you won’t always succeed. In fact, you will fail time and time again. That’s ok though, because failure is an inevitable part of every personal and entrepreneurial journey. It’s important to pick yourself up, retrace your steps, look at what went wrong, and learn from your mistakes.' Leslie Lee/Express/Getty Images Sir Richard Branson In Quotes On following the rules: 'You don't learn to walk by following rules, you learn by doing and by falling over.' Rex Sir Richard Branson In Quotes On failure: 'Failure is one of the secrets to success, since some of the best ideas arise from the ashes of a shattered business.' Getty Images

The entrepreneur noted that the date of his bike accident was five years to the day since the fire in Necker Island. In 2011, twenty guests, including Kate Winslet, escaped unhurt from a blazing guesthouse on the Caribbean island. The fire was thought to be caused by a tropical storm and lightning hitting the house which was "completely destroyed", according to Sir Richard.