A CYCLIST suffered serious injuries after his bike slipped off a path in Weymouth and he plunged on to rocks below. The 46-year-old man was riding at the Nothe when he fell off a 10ft-high sea wall at Newton’s Cove.

He suffered serious leg and back injuries.

Two paramedics from the South West Ambulance Service and Wyke Regis coastguards attended the incident.

They carried the man on a stretcher to the coastguard helicopter which touched down briefly to transport the victim to hospital.

The cyclist, believed to be from the Reading area, was flown to Dorset County Hospital in Dorchester.

Drew Murray, of nearby Newton’s Road, was on the Nothe path and told how the cyclist fell 10ft before he hit the rocks.

He said: “I could see the man lying on his back complaining and crying out saying that he had pelvic injuries.

“He looked like he was in a lot of pain. It must have been quite a fall down to the rocks but luckily the tide was out.”

Crowds gathered as the helicopter hovered over the Nothe to pick up the man.

Paramedic James Ryan said that the man’s injuries were serious but not thought to be life threatening.

Donald Barnes, from Wyke Regis Coastguard, said that the man fell from the wall with his cycle after his front wheel got stuck in a groove running along the wall.

He stressed the man escaped more serious injuries because he was wearing a cycle helmet.

The rescue happened during a busy weekend for Portland Coastguard and its volunteer teams.

The helicopter also flew a man to hospital after he collapsed at Kimmeridge.

It is believed he fell unconscious after suffering a back injury while lifting a heavy slab.

The rescues came within 10 minutes of each other on Saturday lunchtime.

Later in the afternoon a 33-year-old woman was flown to hospital by air ambulance after hurting her ankle at Lulworth.

She was taken from Stair Hole to Dorset County Hospital.

Lulworth Coastguard Rescue Team and the South Western Ambulance Service also attended the incident.