A Ryanair passenger who was partially sucked through a shattered plane window during a terrifying mid-flight incident has been photographed for the first time. Ljubiša Karović, 61, from Serbia, was pulled back from being sucked out of the aircraft by his wife Svetlana Grković.
Incident Details
The flight - from Thessaloniki to Memmingen, Germany - was forced to return to Greece on Friday morning following the alarming mid-air engine crisis. Having departed at 5:55 am from Greece, the pilot detected a fault with the engine over North Macedonia and made the decision to turn back to Thessaloniki. It was during the descent that a fragment of the stricken engine broke away and struck a cabin window, causing Mr Karović to be partially drawn out of the aircraft due to the pressure difference.
Wife's Heroic Actions
His wife Svetlana Grković held onto his legs while fortunately he also had his seatbelt fastened, reports the Mirror. A fellow passenger told the outlet Informer: "His wife Svetlana Grković held his legs for five full minutes, until the other passengers ran to help and managed to pull him back into the cabin."
Emergency Response
The captain repeatedly shouted "emergency" after the window smashed with the oxygen masks deployed, witnesses said. The aircraft was at roughly 20,000ft when passengers heard a loud bang and Mr Karovic is understood to have had his head and shoulders dragged out of the plane. Fellow passengers reported he was bleeding and lost consciousness multiple times due to shock and oxygen deprivation at that altitude.
A traveller named Christina also informed Radio Thessaloniki that his body was protruding almost to his shoulders outside the aircraft, and that his wife was amongst those gripping the man by his feet. The return flight following the incident lasted approximately 20 minutes. The wounded passenger was transported by emergency services to a hospital in Thessaloniki.
Injuries and Aftermath
He sustained a neck injury from the impact along with bruising to other areas of his body and was in shock but remained conscious, according to De Telegraaf. A Ryanair statement read: "A Ryanair flight from Thessaloniki to Memmingen on Friday morning (10 July) returned to Thessaloniki shortly after take-off when a passenger window dislodged inflight. The aircraft landed normally and passengers returned to the terminal. One passenger requested and received medical assistance on the ground in Thessaloniki. In order to minimise any delay, a replacement aircraft was arranged to bring passengers to Memmingen which departed Thessaloniki at 9:53 local this morning."
