EXCLUSIVE Daughter reveals her Qantas worker mum's desperate fight for life after falling 5m from Sydney Airport aerobridge walkway

Daily Mail​

16-05-2025

The daughter of a Qantas worker who plunged 5m from an aerobridge at Sydney Airport says it's a miracle her mum survived, as she fights for life in hospital.
Customer experience supervisor Olivia Hristovska suffered critical injuries when the wall of a walkway to an aircraft seemingly ruptured as she leant against it on May 3.
She plummeted to the tarmac below, suffering life-threatening head and internal injuries, and has been placed in an induced coma by doctors.
Her daughter Monique Hristovska, 27, told Daily Mail Australia she hasn't left her mother's side since the accident, and revealed its devastating consequences.
'We feel it's important the full human impact of this incident is understood - not just the event itself, but the long-term effects on her body, mind, and our family,' she said.
Monique last weekend celebrated Mother's Day by her mum's bedside in hospital as Olivia lay unconscious next to her.
'This year, I hold my own mum close - not just in heart, but in gratitude,' she later posted on Instagram.
'After everything, she's here, and that alone is a miracle I don't take lightly. To every mother, nurturer, and divine woman holding it all - we see you.'
Monique also shared a throwback video of her mum unwrapping a gift of lingerie from her daughter's business, Monsera Intimates, on a previous Mother's Day.
'You are the queen of attention to detail, I got it from you,' Monique told her in the video as her mum, wearing her Qantas uniform, beamed with pride.
'This day is for you - the woman behind it all. The goddess. The life-giver. The space-holder,' she posted.
'Love hard. Speak it freely. Honour the women in your life while they're here - and carry their legacy when they're not.
'Love you mumma.'
Friends wished the 'strong' and 'gorgeous' Ms Hristovska a speedy recovery.
'Love this. Your mum is in my thoughts, and I'm hoping for a swift and full recovery for her,' one wrote.
'Olivia, you are a strong woman praying and thinking of you as you move through your recovery,' another said.
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Her daughter Monique Hristovska, 27, (pictured) told Daily Mail Australia she hasn't left her mother's side since the accident
Ms Hristovska is believed to have fallen through an opening where the shutter wall of the aerobridge came loose from its tracks.
One family friend posted on social media that a male colleague had desperately tried to stop her fall.
'She was leaning on the side of the aerobridge, and it buckled out, separating from the floor,' she posted.
'A male colleague tried to grab her to no avail. She was unresponsive for 15 minutes, but was revived in the ambulance and then put in an induced coma.
'She has head injuries, and most likely broken bones.'
Ms Hristovska was rushed to Royal Prince Alfred Hospital in Sydney's inner west in a critical condition and placed into an induced coma.
'She has bleeding on the brain and a broken collarbone, broken ribs, and probably a broken pelvis,' the friend added in a later update.
'She fell sideways, then backwards, and hit her head. She is not breathing on her own yet. What an absolute tragedy.'
Sydney Airport (pictured) say its aerobridges were frequently inspected and serviced under a 'scheduled systematic preventative maintenance program'
Ms Hristovska has worked for the airline for 14 years, according to her LinkedIn profile.
A fellow Qantas employee posted on social media that staff working at the airport at the time of the tragedy had been 'traumatised' by it.
Images of the opening in the aerobridge Ms Hristovska is believed to have fallen through have sparked questions about how the safety risk went unnoticed.
Sydney Airport told Daily Mail Australia its aerobridges were frequently inspected and serviced under a 'scheduled systematic preventative maintenance program'.
Safework NSW has confirmed investigations into circumstances surrounding the tragic incident are 'ongoing'.
Sydney Airport and Qantas told Daily Mail Australia they are assisting the workplace health and safety regulator in its investigations.