London, Aug 27 (IANS): Founder of the Virgin Group Sir Richard Branson on Friday said that he thought he was "going to die" after he crashed his bike on Caribbean island Virgin Gorda, a media report said.

The businessman said he was "extremely fortunate" only to have suffered a cracked cheek and torn ligaments, BBC reported.

He was cycling down a hill when he hit a speed bump and "the next thing I knew, I was being hurled over the handlebars and my life was literally flashing before my eyes."

"I was heading down a hill towards Leverick Bay when it suddenly got really dark and I managed to hit a sleeping policeman hump in the road head on," the 66-year-old said in a post on the Virgin website.

"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 added.

"We have since recovered the crumpled bicycle, completely destroyed. My cheek has been badly damaged and my knee, chin, shoulder and body severely cut," Branson noted.

He travelled to Miami for X-rays and scans and later posted photographs on social media accounts showing his bloodied face.