This is the terrifying moment a paraglider gets tossed around in the air like a rag doll due to strong winds before he crashes into a rocky cliff face.

The incident took place close to Alanya Castle in the Turkish city of the same name at around 5.30 pm on Friday, 3rd September.

The footage shows how Ersin Cuneyt, aged 30, does somersaults in the air as strong winds prevent him from keeping his parachute under control.

He was then filmed disappearing behind the rocky cliff face with onlookers fearing the worst.

The emergency services were called and the Coast Guard came to the scene with a helicopter, as the spot where the man hit the rocks was not accessible by ambulance.

Rescuers placed the injured man on a stretcher and then took him to hospital by helicopter.

No details of his condition were divulged, though at the time of reporting, he was said to be alive, despite the apparent severity of the collision.

A 2015 study conducted by Turkish researchers found 82 people killed or injured in 64 accidents during 242,355 paragliding jumps between August 2004 and September 2011.

Eighteen of the 82 people lost their lives, and most injuries involved multiple fractures and internal organ injuries.

It was not reported if the police are investigating the case.