'If we die, we die together': Meet Svetlana Grković who grabbed husband's leg after his body went outside a plane mid-air
Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.
At a glance
- A woman held her husband's legs after his upper body was sucked out of a plane window during a Ryanair flight from Greece to Germany.
- The incident occurred when a window shattered at 16,000 feet, causing rapid decompression.
- The husband, who lost consciousness multiple times, was pulled back inside with the help of other passengers and is now hospitalized with injuries.
A terrifying mid-flight emergency unfolded on a Ryanair flight when a window shattered, ejecting a passenger partially from the aircraft. Svetlana Grković bravely held onto her husband, Ljubisa Karović, by his legs as his upper body was exposed to the elements at 16,000 feet.
If we die, we die together
The flight, FR1879, was en route from Thessaloniki, Greece, to Memmingen, Germany, when the window dislodged. For approximately two minutes, Karović was suspended outside the plane, despite being secured by his seatbelt. Grković, with the assistance of two other passengers, managed to pull him back into the cabin.
It’s important to me that he’s alive.
Karović lost consciousness multiple times during the ordeal and is currently hospitalized. His wife described his injuries, noting a badly injured hand and burns, and stated he does not remember the event. She expressed gratitude to the passengers who helped, particularly mentioning an Albanian man she wishes to thank personally.
His hand is particularly badly injured, and he’s got burns. He’s not able to communicate; he doesn’t remember the whole event.
Ryanair confirmed the incident, stating the aircraft returned to Thessaloniki. The airline arranged a replacement aircraft to minimize passenger delays. One passenger received medical attention upon landing.
Some people came to my aid, I remember one man and one woman. That man helped me a lot, Ljubisa and me. I think he was Albanian, thank you very much. I didn’t remember his name, I don’t even know if he told me. I would like to meet him, to thank him personally again.
Originally published by Times of India. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.