The wife of Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews says she thought her husband might die on the day he broke several ribs and fractured his vertebra.
Speaking in a video message posted to social media, Catherine Andrews candidly revealed her thoughts a day before the Premier was set to return to work.
“It was awful because you were going blue,” Ms Andrews said.
“I was thinking you are going to die here in Sorrento in this holiday house.”
In the video, Mr Andrews said it was one of the hardest periods the couple had went through.
Mr Andrews suffered at least five broken ribs and an acute compression fracture of the T7 vertebra when he slipped on the steps of a holiday house on March 9.
He took time off work to heal, leaving James Merlino as Victoria’s acting Premier.
But soon after the incident occurred, rumours began circulating about his fall.
“We’d been down the beach, having a family weekend,” Mr Andrews said.
“It was a bit of a chance to have some time together and to make up for the time that summer had been really busy and a holiday that had been planned hadn’t happened.
“I am making my way to the car and head off to work and it had been raining … as I put my foot on the first step, I knew I was in trouble.”
Mr Andrews said he didn’t connect with the step, but slid right off.
“I became airborne almost … and all I could hear was this almighty crunch … when I heard the crunch, I thought, ‘This is serious. We are in trouble here.'”
Mr Andrews thanked Victoria Ambulance, Victoria Police, the medical staff and the Victorian community for their support.
“We have seen some really vile stories being put around what happened,” he said.
“Politics isn’t always like that.”
