Pugh, who represented the country at the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics, reportedly suffered a 'catastrophic brain bleed' in Perth on January 24 and could not be saved.

A former runner and surf lifesaver, Pugh debuted on the international bobsled circuit at the European Cup in 2007 after being introduced to the sport by a friend.

Two years later, he won bronze alongside Chris Spring at the 2009 America's Cup in Calgary, Canada, in the two-man competition.

He made his first Olympic appearance the following year at the Vancouver Winter Games but his ambitions were dashed when he was knocked out of the competition in the first round due to a crash that left him with a concussion.

During the first run of the two-man event, he and pilot Jeremy Rolleston's sled tipped over, leaving them sliding down the course upside-down.

As they did not finish the race, they were eliminated from more runs, and were forced to withdraw from the four-man sled competition due to their injuries.

Pugh did not compete in any further Olympic Games after the accident.

Discussing the crash in 2010, Pugh told ABC that the out-of-control tumble down the sliding track was "almost impossible to describe", adding: "It's not a pleasant sensation, for a split second everything goes quiet and everything goes soft as you roll over.

"And then you hit the ice and it's just incredibly noisy, you're getting rolled onto your head, onto your back."

Pugh was also a teacher and spent the past 17 years working at Newman College, a Catholic school in Perth's inner north-west.

"We are heartbroken and simply lost for words," his wife McKenzie wrote in an online obituary.

Family friend Levi Bristow has set up a GoFundMe to raise funds for Pugh's wife and sons Charlie, 7, and George, 6, as they grapple with mounting medical bills and upcoming funeral expenses.

Bristow said Pugh "will always be remembered as a legend who will be missed every day", adding: "He was a fantastic father to his boys, a beloved husband, son, brother and uncle to his family."

Bobsleigh and Skeleton Australia, the national governing body for the sport, said Pugh was "gone far too young".