SerpApi.Org
The Ryanair passenger who was horrifically pulled through a shattered plane window shared his first reaction to the "nightmare" ordeal — and the fear he now experiences whenever he hears an aircraft.
Ljubiša Karović, 61, from Serbia, was traveling from Thessaloniki, Greece, to Memmingen, Germany, when his head and shoulders wound up dangling outside the aircraft while his wife desperately clung to his feet for five minutes.
A section of the engine had broken off mid-flight and smashed through the window. The aircraft was forced to reverse course and perform an emergency landing at its departure airport following the dramatic incident. Karović has opened up about the "nightmare experience" that has left him at "rock bottom" and battling panic attacks.
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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," reports the Daily Star.
"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.
"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."
The terrifying ordeal left Karović with serious injuries, requiring him to wear a neck brace for six weeks. In the aftermath of the incident, he has been experiencing a swollen and numb head, temporary paralysis on the right side of his body, and partial damage to his right ear and eye.
He also sustained burns on his back and right hand and believes a full recovery is unlikely. The man who once relished traveling for both business and leisure now finds his daily life completely upended and is unable to function as he once did.
He added: "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."
Just last week, his wife, Svetlana Grković, recounted the terrifying experience in the air.
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Speaking to Nova, she said: "I reacted immediately and grabbed his legs. I thought: 'If we die, we die together.' It was horrible."
Chaos erupted among passengers, with some panicking while others rushed to Karović's aid.
"Some people came to my aid, I remember one man and one woman," she continued. "That man helped me a lot, Ljubiša and I."
Svetlana conveyed her wish to personally extend her gratitude to the courageous passenger who played a pivotal role in saving her husband's life.
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