A KOROIT man has miraculously escaped death after his car left the road, flew through the air and rolled down a steep embankment at Tower Hill this morning.
Police said it was amazing the 55-year-old farmer survived the crash which happened about 11am. He was still conscious as emergency crews cut him from the vehicle.
A family member who attended the scene said the man was in a serious condition with suspected spinal injuries.
He was taken by road ambulance to the Warrnambool airport at nearby Mailors Flat and then airlifted to Melbourne in the emergency helicopter.
The accident, which happened about 11am, occurred on Lake View Road at the eastern rim of the lake, about 500 metres north of the Von Guerard lookout.
Police believe the man's mid-1990 model Ford Telstar left the road after he over-corrected in the wet conditions and veered over the embankment.
The family member said the vehicle flew 30 metres through the air before it hit the ground and rolled several times. It only came to rest when it struck a tree about 12 metres down the ridge.
"If it wasn't for the tree, the car would have rolled down another sheer drop," he said. "The car is just wrecked."
Sergeant Pat McKinnon of Koroit Police described the man as "extremely lucky".