Ljubiša Karović, a 61-year-old Serbian man, has spoken publicly for the first time after being partially sucked out of a Ryanair aircraft window when a piece of the engine detached mid-flight and shattered the glass. The incident occurred on a flight from Thessaloniki, Greece, to Memmingen, Germany, forcing the plane to return for an emergency landing.
Passenger describes 'nightmare' ordeal
In an interview with German publication Bild, Karović said: "I fell asleep... After some time I was woken up by a massive bang like a bomb. Only for one moment I was conscious and cannot remember the rest." He added: "I had blood all over me, blood was dripping from my face and my hands."
Karović's head and shoulders were suspended outside the aircraft while his wife, Svetlana Grković, desperately clung to his feet for five harrowing minutes. He now suffers panic attacks and stress whenever he hears an airplane overhead. "I am not even contemplating getting on another flight. Every time I hear an airplane, I get stress and a fever," he said.
Severe injuries and mental toll
The incident left Karović with serious injuries, including a swollen and numb head, temporary paralysis on the right side of his body, partial damage to his right ear and eye, and burns to his back and right hand. He must wear a neck brace for six weeks and fears a complete recovery is unlikely. "Mentally I have hit rock bottom. It has an effect on both my work and family," he said.
Wife recounts harrowing moments
Svetlana Grković described the chaos aboard the aircraft in an interview with Nova. "I reacted immediately and grabbed his legs. I thought: 'If we die, we die together.' It was horrible," she recalled. She expressed gratitude to a male passenger who helped her save her husband, saying: "That man helped me a lot, Ljubiša and I."
Life completely changed
Karović, who previously enjoyed traveling for work and leisure, said his existence has been transformed. "Now everything is bothering me. The hustle and bustle bother me, I cannot walk on the street, everything bothers me," he said. "It is a complete upheaval in my life. I have no concentration. My attention can't be focused on anything. That means I'm simply not functioning properly."
