'You're going to die': Dan Andrews releases video about fall
Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews has spoken about the fall which has sidelined him for nearly four months with a serious back injury the day before he returns to work.
The premier was admitted to intensive care at the Peninsula Private Hospital after he broke several ribs and damaged vertebrae when he slipped on wet stairs at a holiday rental on the Mornington Peninsula in March.
Mr Andrews was placed in intensive care and has spent months recovering at home.
On Sunday, the premier released a video on social media to explain what happened to him, alongside his wife Catherine.
Mr Andrews said he was walking to his car after it had rained.
“As I put my foot onto the first step I knew I was in trouble. I didn’t really connect with the step but just slid straight off,” he said.
“I became airborne almost. So, I’m horizontal with the step and then all I could hear was just this almighty crunch.”
“And that’s when I knew, when I heard the crunch I thought this is serious. We’re in trouble here.”
Before I come back to work tomorrow, I thought I would share what happened. In my own words. pic.twitter.com/RkJcvPTYyu
— Dan Andrews (@DanielAndrewsMP) June 27, 2021
Ms Andrews ran to check on him. He believes she heard him groan as he was zapped of air and couldn’t yell.
The premier said “it felt like an eternity” before his wife found him.
“It was awful,” she said, saying the premier was "going blue".
“We were looking at each other and I was thinking ‘you’re going to die here in Sorrento at this holiday house’,” she said.
“And you were looking at me and you felt the same.”
Premier and family 'very lucky' after fall
An ambulance was called along with the Victoria Police detail.
Mr Andrews was given painkillers in a so-called green whistle but such was the extent of the injuries to his back and ribs that he was struggling to breathe.
“They said, ‘don’t breathe on that too hard or it will make you cough’,” the premier said.
Things began to settle once he was given intravenous painkillers.
He said he was grateful for the work of police, ambulance, physios and medical staff in helping with his recovery.
“As painful, as difficult, as traumatic as it was, we were very lucky,” Mr Andrews said.
“And we’ve seen some really vile stories being put around about what happened. Politics isn’t always like that.”
The premier was referring to unusual rumours and conspiracy theories about his absence from work, including those pushed by the state Liberal opposition.
Shadow Treasurer Louise Staley in a statement earlier this month said Mr Andrews “owes Victorians some simple answers”.
Ms Staley asked when the ambulance was called and who called it along with a number of other questions surrounding the fall.
She added if there wasn’t a “cover up” then there was no reason for him not to answer the questions.
Ms Staley was widely criticised for her bizarre statement.
Ambulance Victoria released details about Mr Andrews’ fall the day after Ms Staley’s statement.
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