- The 62-year-old is now in a stable condition
Former Geelong captain Mark Bairstow was revived twice after suffering a sudden heart attack while celebrating his son’s race win at the Bunbury Turf Club on Sunday afternoon.
The 62-year-old collapsed near the mounting yard shortly before 4pm WA time, moments after Apparatus, trained by his son Dylan, won race four.
With temperatures nearing 35 degrees, first responders rushed to Bairstow’s aid and used a defibrillator on two separate occasions to restart his heart.
He was transported to Bunbury Regional Hospital, where he remains in a stable condition while undergoing tests to determine the cause of the cardiac arrest.
St John WA confirmed a man in his 60s was taken from the track in a critical condition.
It is understood Bairstow had told a friend he was not feeling well minutes before collapsing and appeared out of breath.
Former Geelong captain Mark Bairstow was revived twice after collapsing at Bunbury races celebrating his son’s winning horse
The 62-year-old collapsed near the mounting yard before first responders used defibrillators to save his life on site
Bairstow watched his son Dylan’s horse Apparatus win before suffering cardiac arrest in scorching trackside heat
The incident unfolded in front of his son Dylan and jockey Austin Galati, a former apprentice of Bairstow.
Bairstow has battled ongoing heart issues in recent years and spent nearly a fortnight in intensive care on life support in 2023 after a major health scare.
Speaking at the time, he revealed the seriousness of his condition.
‘They had to make a decision whether to keep going or pull the pin,’ Bairstow said. ‘I’m glad they made the right decision.
‘My heartbeat goes along normal and then all of a sudden it just misses.
‘It became more often [over time], and that put my heart under pressure to pump at the normal level.
‘I’d probably put on a bit too much weight over the years, which probably doesn’t help as well.’
His family declined to comment publicly following Sunday’s incident but were described as being extremely thankful to those who helped save his life.
A number of Bairstow’s former Geelong teammates were informed of the incident later that night.
A decorated midfielder, Bairstow played 146 games for Geelong between 1987 and 1994 after being recruited from South Fremantle.
He captained the Cats from 1992 to 1994, was a three-time All-Australian, and won the 1986 Sandover Medal before being inducted into the West Australian Football Hall of Fame in 2010.
Bairstow also endured personal tragedy when former teammate and close friend Paul Couch died of a heart attack in 2016, with Bairstow delivering a tribute at the Brownlow medallist’s funeral.
