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.

Branson has set a series of aviation and nautical adventure records, although he failed, despite numerous attempts, to become the first person to circumnavigate the globe non-stop in a balloon.

These exploits brought Branson close to tragedy in 1998 when he and his co-pilot had to ditch their balloon in the Pacific Ocean after low pressure forced the craft down.

(Feature image source: Twitter/@htTweets)