Myrtleford police said the injured rider was lucky not to be killed when a large gum tree fell at Buffalo River Road, Dandongadale, 7.7 kilometres past the Lake Buffalo dam wall.

Leading Senior Constable Jason Borbidge said three riders discovered half the tree had fallen across the road and, being on off-road bikes, decided to go around it.

“The other half of the tree has fallen on the lead rider,” he said.

“A very large branch has gone across him and the bike and it’s hit him on his left shoulder, pushing him to the right.

“It has then pinned his bike to the ground and him on the bike and then another branch has been on his right hand side, so he’s in the fork of a branch.

“He’s the unluckiest/luckiest bloke on earth, e.g. he had a tree fall on him, but he’s lived.

“Had he been back a foot, he’d be dead.”

Emergency services were called to the scene at 10.48am Saturday.

Leading Senior Constable Borbidge said the call was made by a passer-by whom the riders had sent to find mobile phone coverage.

“I believe the call was made from the dam wall, where the workers knew ‘the spot’ where they could get phone reception,” he said.

The injured rider, 44, thought to be from Melbourne, remained conscious but in pain with back and shoulder injuries.

An Ambulance Victoria spokesman said he was taken to Wangaratta hospital in a serious but stable condition.

Leading Senior Constable Borbidge praised the efforts of Myrtleford SES and CFA in assisting and clearing away the tree.

He said the first part of the fallen tree had fully covered the road, giving the three riders no other way to pass but the path they chose.

“They didn’t do anything wrong, it was just unlucky,” he said.