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Passenger who was 'sucked out' of plane window reveals shocking email he received from airline after flight
A man who was nearly sucked out of a Ryanair plane after a window came loose has revealed the shocking response he received from the airline.
Ljubiša Karović, 61, was flying from Thessaloniki, Greece, to Memmingen, Germany, on July 10 when a cabin window reportedly dislodged shortly after takeoff, leaving him hanging head-first outside the aircraft.
The passenger revealed in an interview with the Daily Mail that the only contact his family received from the airline was an email sent to his son, who booked the tickets.
"All we've had is emails to my son, who booked our flights, asking if we want to rebook and asking how I was. But nobody from the company has contacted me directly, not even a phone call to show any concern," he said.
Wife says passengers saved his life
Ljubiša's wife, Svetlana, was sitting three rows behind him when the incident happened.
She told Serbian outlet Nova that half of her husband's body "was sticking out of the plane."
"I immediately reacted and grabbed his legs. I thought: 'If we die, we die together'. It was horrible."
With the help of two passengers, she managed to pull him back inside. Ljubiša reportedly lost consciousness several times.
Svetlana also claimed the cabin crew "didn't do anything" and praised the passengers who rushed to help.
According to The Guardian, one passenger even tried to block the broken window with a bag before using a suitcase.
"None of the cabin crew helped. It was the passengers," she said. "One man, I think he was an Albanian, was incredible. He did all he could to bring him in and then tried to block the window, first with a bag that was immediately sucked out and then with a suitcase, which worked. We are eternally grateful to him."
"I don’t know their names, but I am eternally grateful to them. May God protect them wherever they go. Without them, my husband would be dead," she added.
Recovery could take weeks
Ljubiša suffered burns to his face and right arm, along with neck and shoulder injuries.
Doctors have told him to wear a neck brace for six weeks and say he may need surgery if the pain does not improve.
The passenger said he still struggles with memories of the incident.
"The explosion is what I remember," he said. "It's the noise before the chaos, the noise that is always there when I close my eyes to sleep.
"They tell me I fainted twice and again inside the plane and that my face was briefly swollen and deformed because of the pressure, the rush of air," he continued. "I am lucky...I don't remember much and my head and neck still hurt, but I am still alive."
"It could have been the seatbelt, the fact that I was still strapped in. But maybe it is fate. I believe in God and I thank him every day," he added.
Lawyer plans legal action
The couple has hired lawyer Vasilis Tsiaras, who said he wants those responsible to be held accountable.
"My client came back from the brink of death, and we want to make sure that whoever is responsible for this is held accountable," he said. "It is not just about compensation but about establishing the truth as to what happened and the condition of this aircraft."
He also told The Guardian: "When the cabin lost pressure, [Ljubisa] was hurled out of the window from his chest up and immediately lost consciousness."
"He was on that plane heading to Germany to celebrate his brother’s birthday. Instead, at 15,000ft he ended up with his head and right arm outside the aircraft as it moved at a speed of more than 600km/h. Imagine that! He looked at death, that other world, and came back," he added.
While criticizing the cabin crew, Tsiaras commended the flight's pilots.
"We have no complaint with the pilot, who followed the safety protocols and dealt with the situation very well," he said.
However, he alleged: "My client fainted two or three times, once outside the aircraft when he was partially sucked out of the window, and twice inside when, again, he lost consciousness. At no point did the cabin crew offer to help."
Tsiaras further claimed witness testimony suggested "everyone agreed that the crew was in a state of shock, afraid that the plane was about to crash," and that passengers were the ones who "rallied" to assist.
Ryanair defends its response
Ryanair says its cabin crew followed emergency procedures and assisted Ljubiša once the plane had safely descended.
Chief financial officer Neil Sorahan also defended the airline's safety record.
"We operate at the highest standards of European aviation regulations," he said. "We have a relatively young fleet and are very pleased with safety and maintenance within Ryanair group."
"There [have been] literally hundreds of millions of flights on these [Boeing 737] aircraft globally since they first came into being. They are probably the safest aircraft ever built, they are highly maintained and we have very well-trained crew."
Sorahan said Ryanair had "actively" maintained contact with Ljubiša and Svetlana since the incident.
The US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is leading the investigation into what happened, with Ryanair saying it is "participating fully" in the inquiry.
As for Ljubiša, he says his focus remains on recovering from an experience he will never forget.
"This incident has completely turned my life upside down. I fear that I’ll never be able to live and work the way I used to," he shared. "I’m not able to go anywhere at the moment, and the thought of getting on a plane absolutely terrifies me."
"I want to recover and overcome this because I once led a very happy and beautiful life, but I know that it’s going to take me a long time," he concluded.















