Trainer's Near-Death Fall: Breathing Difficulties Persist

Trainer Clinton McDonald is recounting the harrowing experience of a severe fall he sustained during the Melbourne Cup carnival last year. The incident, which occurred when he slipped down three steps, resulted in multiple injuries including four broken ribs and a punctured lung. McDonald spent five days in intensive care, during which he experienced moments where he feared for his life, especially when medical professionals prepared to use a defibrillator.

Even now, McDonald reports experiencing lingering physical effects from the fall. He describes moments where breathing becomes difficult, likening the sensation to early-onset emphysema, particularly after a demanding morning at his Cranbourne stables. The trainer also struggles with persistent tiredness, which he identifies as a direct consequence of the trauma from the accident.