Ljubiša Karović, 61, describes the terrifying moment an engine fragment shattered his plane window, leaving him with severe injuries and lasting trauma. The incident forced an emergency landing and has upended his life.
Serbian man Ljubiša Karović, 61, was partially sucked out of a Ryanair plane window after a foreign object damage incident forced an emergency landing. The passenger, who was horrifyingly sucked out of a shattered plane window, has spoken for the first time about his 'nightmare' ordeal - and the dread he now experiences every time he hears an aircraft.
Karović was travelling from Thessaloniki, Greece to Memmingen, Germany when a fragment of the engine broke off mid-flight and smashed through the window, causing his head and shoulders to become trapped outside the aircraft. His wife desperately clung to his feet for five harrowing minutes before the plane turned back and made an emergency landing at its departure airport.
Mr Karović has now broken his silence about the "nightmare experience" that has left him at "rock bottom" and battling panic attacks. Speaking to German news outlet Bild, he 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 described the traumatic aftermath: "I had blood all over me, blood was dripping from my face and my hands. As soon as I close my eyes, images appear of the nightmare I experienced. Those few minutes, it is simply a nightmare, which I cannot explain with words.
" The incident has left Karović with serious injuries, requiring him to wear a neck brace for six weeks. He has experienced a swollen and numb head, temporary paralysis affecting the right side of his body, and partial damage to both his right ear and eye. He has also sustained burns to his back and right hand, and fears he may never make a complete recovery.
The man who previously enjoyed travelling for both work and leisure now finds his entire existence turned upside down. He continued: "Now everything is bothering me. The hustle and bustle bother me, I cannot walk on the street, everything bothers me. Mentally I have hit rock bottom.
It has an effect on both my work and family. 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.
" He added: "I am not even contemplating getting on another flight. Every time I hear an airplane, I get stress and a fever. I am not well at all when I hear an airplane.
" His wife, who wishes to remain unnamed, also recounted the terrifying moments to Nova. She said: "I reacted immediately and grabbed his legs. I thought: 'If we die, we die together.
' It was horrible. " She added: "Some people came to my aid, I remember one man and one woman. That man helped me a lot, Ljubiša and I." She expressed her wish to personally thank the courageous passenger who helped save her husband's life.
The incident, caused by an engine fragment breaking off, has resulted in lasting physical and psychological trauma for Karović, transforming his life from that of an avid traveler to one of constant anxiety and physical limitations
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