Road closed at Mailors Flat after medical incident on Friday afternoon, man passes away

A tradesman who stopped to help an elderly man who had a medical episode on Friday afternoon has praised the prompt response of ambulance officers.

The man, who did not want to be named, said he was following a red Mazda 6 sedan which pulled over on the Mailors Flat-Koroit Road soon after 4pm.

The tradie stopped to see if he could assist.

He said an elderly woman was driving the car and an elderly man was in the front passenger seat.

It's believed the man had suffered a heart attack.

The tradie rang 000 and received instructions to pull the man from the vehicle and begin CPR, which he did on the side of the road.

He said within 10 minutes there were about 10 ambulance officers on scene and they took over trying to resuscitate the man.

Unfortunately the man could not be revived.

The tradie said that with the health system under pressure due to the COVID-19 pandemic it was a pleasing response from the local ambulance officers.

"Ambulance officers are under the pump in a huge way, but the response on Friday afternoon couldn't have been better," he said.

"I just wanted to say they arrived quickly and did everything they could for the elderly man. They are out there doing their jobs every day under enormous pressure."

Six ambulance officers were assisted by four officers from the HEMS4 helicopter service at the nearby Warrnambool airport.

The tradesman said he was disappointed a number of cars passed the emergency scene while he was giving the man CPR on the side of the road and before ambulance officers arrived.

Friday: A man has died after a medical episode while travelling in a car at Mailors Flat.

Sergeant Jason Barker, from Warrnambool police, said the Mailors Flat-Koroit Road was closed to traffic on Friday evening.

"An elderly passenger in a vehicle travelling to Warrnambool has suffered a medical episode," Sergeant Barker said.

"An ambulance was called to assist. Unfortunately the man has passed away."

Sergeant Barker said emergency services were on the scene and police were directing traffic.

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