Cyclist plunges 80ft off cliff at beauty spot....and survives

We’ve all had what we would term as nasty falls from our bikes when cycling. But one female cyclist has miraculously survived from a truly horrendous one. The cyclist plummeted 100ft down a cliff and amazingly escaped with a broken collar bone and cuts and bruises after a mystery climber stopped to give her first aid.

The 50-year-old, who has not been named, was cycling with members of her family when she fell off her bike at Cheddar Gorge in Somerset, rolled down a grassy bank and went over the edge of a cliff, landing 300ft from the road.

Mountain rescue teams, 20 firefighters and a Royal Air Force helicopter rushed to her aid following the accident at 6.55pm on Saturday. But by the time they arrived she had been given first aid and spinal stabilisation by a mystery climber and was airlifted to hospital.

Alan George, spokesman for Avon and Somerset Mountain Rescue, praised her rescuer who ''disappeared into the darkness'' after saving her life.

He said in the Telegraph: ''Without him she would probably be in a much worse state. From what we could tell she literally took a Tom and Jerry fall. The number of injuries she is likely to have sustained is considerable. She ended up jammed into a small gully on the cliff face.”

The woman was airlifted from the gully and is in a stable condition at Frenchay Hospital in Bristol.

A spokesman for Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service revealed the accident occurred at The Old Quarry, just 600 yards from the entrance to the Gorge. She has suffered a suspected broken collar bone, back injuries and facial and hand lacerations during her fall.

A spokesman for Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service said "Crews from Cheddar assisted with first aid, alongside the cliff rescue team. The casualty was rescued by a seaking helicopter that took her straight to hospital."