A HANG glider pilot who plummeted more than 600 feet into the Bristol Channel on Saturday is recovering in hospital after being rescued by a farmer, his teenage son and a fishing boat skipper.

The three have been praised for their quick actions that probably saved the life of the casualty, who has head, chest and shoulder injuries and has undergone surgery.

He was seen to spiral down and crash into the sea just off Greenaleigh Farm after taking off from the top of North Hill, Minehead, on Saturday afternoon.

The accident was witnessed by farm owner Tom Brown and his son, Ben, 14, who raised the alarm and then drove down to the beach on a quad bike to help.

Next on the scene was 75-year-old Minehead fishing boat skipper Marcus James, out with a party of anglers, who steered his vessel close inshore and swam in to assist.

Both Minehead RNLI’s Atlantic 85 and D class lifeboats were launched within minutes of the 999 call being received.

Minehead RNLI operations manager Dr John Higgie said the man had been very fortunate that someone had seen the accident: “Had he come down half a mile or more to the west the chances are no-one would have seen him and we should have been looking at a very different outcome.”

And Minehead RNLI chairman Bryan Stoner praised the rescuers who were first on the scene.

“Mr Brown and his son and Mr James clearly appreciated the seriousness of the man’s situation and condition and realised they had to act quickly,” he said.

“Their rapid intervention probably saved a life.”

The full story will be in Friday’s Free Press.