Vlado Barisic, known to friends as Michael, remains in an induced coma after undergoing surgery at The Royal Melbourne hospital overnight to yesterday.

Doctors removed a piece of the 65-year-old’s skull to relieve pressure from the swelling associated with two fractures in his skull.

Mr Barisic’s injuries also include four broken ribs, a punctured lung, and bruising.

In a brief interview with police before being flown to Melbourne on Wednesday, Mr Barisic told investigators he had been assaulted at the Albury-Wodonga Kart Club in Sheathers Road, Wodonga, where he lives in his campervan.

His brother, John Barisic, and sister-in-law, Trish, yesterday said they had checked on Mr Barisic after he failed to meet them at the Commercial Club in Albury on Monday night.

The couple went to the go-kart venue to check on him on Tuesday.

“He was in a pool of blood,” Mrs Barisic said.

“The blood was in his bed; he had blood all over his face; there were drops of blood all around his motor home on the concrete.”

They tried to convince Mr Barisic to go to the emergency room but said he had insisted on being left alone.

The next morning, they went to visit him again and that time didn’t take no for an answer.

Mr Barisic was taken to Wodonga hospital, where police were called and he was transferred to Melbourne.

Mrs Barisic said it was difficult to comprehend what had happened.

She and her husband didn’t know who would want to hurt their relative and asked anyone with information to contact Wodonga police on (02) 6049 2600 or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.