A JET SKIER travelling “like an Exocet missile” has been hospitalised with serious leg injuries following a horror smash in Studland Bay.

The 49-year-old man was airlifted to Poole Hospital after colliding with the trimaran yacht Lil Annie.

Moments before the impact, which was so forceful it tore apart the vessel’s hull, a young boy leapt to safety from the back of the jet ski.

Lil Annie owner Mark Hughes, who was sailing with a friend when the accident happened, said: “He came at me like an Exocet missile.

“I could see his eyes. I heard the lad on the back, who must have been about 10-years-old, shout ‘what are you doing? What are you doing?’ before he jumped off the back.

“If that little kiddie hadn’t jumped he could have been dead.”

The young boy escaped uninjured, but the jet ski driver wasn’t as lucky.

Mark, from Poole, said: “The RNLI guy told me his calf muscle was gone, all we could see was the blood.”

Sunday’s drama unfolded after 2pm, about half a mile off Joe’s Café on Studland Beach.

Mark, aged 48, and another sailor had manoeuvred the trimaran into the bay to drop sail.

“It was quite windy and we were doing about six knots,” he said. “In the distance this jet skier came out, he was blazing along.

“But I’m thinking, OK, he’s in the distance, this isn’t a problem. But he kept coming towards us. I thought he was going to spray us, you know, make a turn in front of us and spray the water up.

“But he just kept coming. He must have been doing about 50mph. It was a massive impact.”

The injured man was recovered by the crew of the nearby motor cruiser Ludwells, then airlifted to hospital.

Portland Coastguard watch officer Nigel Robinson said: “The trimaran was assisted to Poole Yacht Club by the RNLI lifeboat. The Dorset constabulary and the Marine Accident Investigation Branch have been informed of the incident.”