Last month, Mr Bavin was enjoying a day out in Melbourne when the 65-year-old suddenly collapsed on his way to the bar at The Vineyard in St Kilda.

“I stood up to go to the bar to order for myself and my friend, when bang, I went down like a bag of spuds, dead. Like the lights went out,” he said.

Bystander John Bolton was quick to rush to Mr Bavin to perform CPR while the venue called 000. 

“No-one knew what happened but thanks to the quick-thinking actions of a couple of bystanders and venue management, I’m still here today,” he said.

Mr Bolton administered chest compressions for 15 minutes before paramedics arrived and shocked Mr Bavin with a defibrillator six times to restart his heart.

“I’ve got quite a few broken ribs because John was going hard at it but being alive beats everything else, so I’m very grateful he kept going,” Mr Bavin said.

In the last 10 years, Mr Bavin has also beat prostate cancer twice.

He knew he had a family history of heart disease, having lost his father, uncle and brother to heart attacks, but did not think he was at risk. 

“I’d had some problems in the past with high blood pressure and high cholesterol, but I controlled it with medication. I was ‘Bullet-Proof Bruce’ as I’m active as all hell.”

Although he was a smoker for 27 years, Mr Bavin was very active prior to his cardiac arrest, volunteering his time at the CFA, Rotary, playing bowls and golf and tending to the scoreboard at home games for the Hepburn Burras.

Looking back, he recalls a few symptoms like shortness of breath that could have been an indicator of his heart attack.

When he woke up in the Alfred Hospital, Mr Bavin said he was shocked to discover his arteries were 90 per cent blocked and he needed two stents.

Heart Foundation Victoria Chief Executive Officer Kellie-Ann Jolly said one in ten people survive an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest in Victoria.

“Minutes count to save a life. Last year, people who had a bystander step in to perform lifesaving steps had nearly double the survival rate.

“It’s even higher if a public defibrillator is used. If you witness a cardiac arrest call triple zero immediately, push hard and fast on the chest and shock the heart with a defibrillator (AED).”

Now in recovery, Mr Bavin said he had changed his eating habits to a mostly vegan diet and was enjoying light exercise.

He wants others to recognise the importance of a healthy lifestyle and regular heart checks.