A child was seriously injured after being completely buried under rock when it fell from a cliff as he lay on a beach.

Horrified onlookers including the nine-year-old boy’s father raced to help free him from the rubble that also struck a girl aged 11.

The lad and his father were walking with his female friend, the mother of the injured girl, and had set out to enjoy the autumn sunshine at Lulworth Cove.

The group – visitors to the area – had walked halfway around the cove to the east when the rock tumbled down from 10 feet, burying the youngster who playing on the beach.

Coastguards were quickly on the scene and arrived to see the buried child emerging in the hands of people who had cleared the rocks.

He had suffered head injuries and was airlifted to hospital.

The girl was taken by land ambulance having suffered injuries caused by the falling rock.

A coastguard spokesman said: “It happened near a place called Black Rock, about halfway around to the eastern side of the cove.

“There were two children and the boy was completely covered by the falling rock.

“At first we thought he had been standing but he was lying down when it happened.

“A girl was also injured when the falling rock hit her.

“When people saw what had happened they rushed to help and free him from the rock – And they had cleared most of it when we arrived.

“The rocks had come directly from above him, about 10ft high. They hadn’t fallen right down the cliff. There was not actually that much that came down but it was enough to cover him and it just happened that it was right above him “We had another cliff fall earlier this year around the corner but no-one was there. We do get cliff falls, but not too often.

“The boy was flown off in the air ambulance and the girl went in a land ambulance. The lad was a lot worse.”

Onlooker David Boyd from Weymouth witnessed the rescue operation.

He said: “I understand that it was a cliff fall and that the rocks landed on top of someone.

“The aim ambulance and the Coastguard rescue helicopter were both there and Coastguards were on the beach.”