A TOURIST whose leg was smashed by a falling rock at Lulworth Cove says it could have killed the child sitting near him.

Alan Godfrey was hit by a boulder – about twice the size of a rugby ball – as he relaxed in his deckchair on the beach.

The 54-year-old Londoner, who was visiting Dorset with partner Angela Quinn, was airlifted to hospital where doctors carried out emergency reconstructive surgery to his lower leg and ankle.

He is unlikely to be able to return to work for the rest of the year.

Aerospace foundry worker Mr Godfrey, who spent ten days in hospital, said: “It could easily have been a fatality. I was sat next to a family who had a young child, about two or three years old. I dread to think what would have happened if the rock had hit him.

“I was sitting on my beach chair, then all of a sudden just felt massive pain. I looked down and my foot was in pieces.”

Mr Godfrey says he fell to the floor, then was treated by another beachgoer, called Kevin, who wrapped his foot in a towel and stayed with him until emergency services arrived.

But it was a struggle to get a mobile phone signal, so people had to run to a nearby cafe to raise the alarm.

“It was over an hour before the paramedics got to me, and I was losing a lot of blood. Kevin was superb though, talking to me all the time and keeping me calm” said Mr Godfrey.

He has criticised the Lulworth Estate over what he claims is a lack of safety warnings about rock falls at the beach.

However, the Lulworth Estate insists many signs are in place warning visitors of the dangers.

A spokesman for the Lulworth Estate said: “The estate takes the safety of the many thousands of visitors who visit Lulworth every year very seriously. However, the natural forces that created this stunning coastline continue to this day, causing instability and the risk of rock falls.

“We have put in place many signs across Lulworth Cove and Durdle Door that warn visitors of the potential instability of this coastline and request that they do not sit near to the cliff edges – either on the beach or on the cliff-top.These include signs at access points to beaches and at the car park ticket machines.

"Our head of health and safety has conducted an investigation into this incident, which covered many aspects including a review of the existing signage provisions. Any improvements or changes identified as necessary through the investigation process will be implemented as appropriate, and if necessary, implemented on other areas of the estate.”

The drama unfolded on August Bank Holiday Monday.

Angela, aged 50, from Surrey, returned to Lulworth Cove to retrieve the couple’s car the following day.

“I decided to walk down the beach to see if any safety or warning signs had been put up warning visitors of the potential dangers of falling rocks,” she said. “I was surprised and concerned that there were none on the actual beach.

“It was busy with families sitting where we’d been the previous day."