AN ARTIST who suffered life threatening injuries after a fall on the coast has met up with the woman who saved his life.

A year after his nasty fall near Sandsfoot, Weymouth, Keith Athay presented Anne Hatton with a special painting as a way of saying thank you.

Internationally-acclaimed painter Mr Athay, 45, was walking his dog Claude near Sandsfoot Beach in April 2018 when he slipped and fell backwards down a 10ft drop.

Mr Athay - who lives in Weymouth with financée Alexandra McAllister - was left with a blood clot on his brain after fracturing his skull in three places, as well as a broken vertebrae and fractured eye socket.

He told the Echo he would probably have died had it not been for the swift actions of dog walker Anne Hatton who raised the alarm.

"Anne is a very unique and special person. Some people might turn away from helping a stranger because they are worried about reprisal but Anne completely took control of the situation during and after, and for that I owe her my life - literally", he said.

Mrs Hatton - who lives a few streets up from the couple - has since become a friend. She said: "I really didn’t do anything I hope any decent person would have done."

Paramedics rushed Mr Athay to Dorset County Hospital, and he was later transferred to Southampton General Hospital for an emergency lumbar puncture.

Despite the severity of his injuries, the artist made a miraculous recovery and was back in his studio just two weeks later.

The couple - who are recently engaged - are now thanking Mrs Hatton and NHS staff who treated Keith and are encouraging people to look out for each other.

"We really wanted to let people know they shouldn't be afraid to help if they see someone in trouble", Miss McAllister said.

"Keith was covered in blood - many people would have been too scared to get involved."

Mr Athay - whose paintings are displayed at Whitewall Galleries and Quantum Contemporary Art - presented Mrs Hatton with a painting entitled 'Pendennis Point' as a thank you.

Keith Athay's work can also be viewed at the Athay Gallery at Portland Marina, which is owned by the couple.