Wife's Heroic Act Mid-Air
Svetlana Grković has described how she desperately held onto her husband's legs after he was sucked out of a Ryanair plane window. Ljubiša Karović, 61, from Serbia, was partially ejected from flight FR1879 en route to Memmingen, Germany, from Thessaloniki, Greece, on July 10. The couple was returning from a summer holiday when part of the engine is believed to have broken away, breaking a window and leaving a hole in the side of the Boeing 737-800 jet.
Desperate Struggle at 20,000 Feet
Speaking to local news outlet Nova, Grković said: 'It was as if a piece of the engine had broken off and struck the window next to where my husband was sitting. Fortunately, he was wearing his seatbelt. When the window shattered, cabin decompression occurred. The pressure pulled Ljubiša—luckily he was strapped in—but half his body was hanging out of the plane. I reacted immediately and grabbed him by the legs.' She held on for about five minutes while the aircraft was at 20,000ft, thinking: 'If we die, we die together. It was terrifying.'
Fellow Passengers Assist
Grković thanked two fellow passengers who came to her aid to help rescue her husband. The flight returned to Thessaloniki airport following the incident. Mr Karović remains in hospital in a state of shock, suffering friction burns and an inability to speak due to his injuries. Oxygen masks were deployed as the pilot declared an emergency.
Ryanair Statement
A Ryanair spokesperson said: 'A Ryanair flight from Thessaloniki to Memmingen on Friday morning (July 10) 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 9.53am local this morning.'
