Si morimos, morimos juntos: La esposa del hombre que fue succionado desde la ventana del avión habla

A 61-year-old Serbian man survived a terrifying ordeal after his head and shoulders were partially sucked out of a Ryanair plane window shortly after takeoff from Thessaloniki International Airport in Greece on Friday. His wife, Svetlana Grković, described the harrowing moment to Greek and Serbian media, saying her husband, Ljubisa Karović, was nearly pulled entirely from the aircraft before she and other passengers managed to pull him back inside. Grković recounted the incident to the state-owned Greek news broadcaster ERT, stating that the window malfunction occurred during the flight from Thessaloniki to Memmingen, Germany. According to her account, the window shattered, causing the cabin to fill with turbulence and forcing oxygen masks to deploy. Her husband’s head and shoulders were drawn outside the aircraft, with part of his body dangling beyond the window for approximately one and a half to two minutes. She said three passengers, including herself, worked together to pull him back in, despite the immense force pulling him outward. Grković described the scene as chaotic, with her husband losing consciousness several times during the ordeal. She emphasized that he was wearing a seatbelt, which she believes saved his life. After the incident, she said her husband remained unconscious for some time and later regained awareness, though he is still recovering from severe injuries, including neck and shoulder trauma and friction burns. She added that she too is struggling emotionally from the experience. According to a Greek hospital official speaking anonymously to The Associated Press, Karović sustained injuries consistent with the description given by his wife. Local Greek media reported that a section of the plane broke loose shortly after takeoff, leading to the window failure and triggering the deployment of oxygen masks. The incident forced the pilots to execute an emergency descent back to Thessaloniki, where the plane landed safely. In a separate interview with the Serbian news outlet Nova.rs, Grković detailed how she clung to her husband’s legs with all her strength, whispering to herself, “If we’re going to die, we’ll die together.” She said the force pulling him out was overwhelming, and she screamed for help until another passenger joined her in trying to pull him back inside. Without that person’s help, she said, she might not have been able to hold on long enough to save him. Other passengers on the flight corroborated the account, describing hearing a loud noise similar to a tire bursting just before the window failed. A passenger identified as Christina told Thessaloniki radio that the plane descended sharply following the incident, and many aboard had initially fallen asleep due to the smooth takeoff. The sudden disruption startled everyone, prompting immediate action from the crew, who urged passengers to stay calm amid the chaos. After landing, emergency responders treated Karović before transporting him to a local hospital. Grković said she was still coming to terms with the events, focusing instead on her husband’s survival. “I don’t think I’ve even become fully aware of what happened,” she said. “The most important thing is that he’s alive.” Authorities have begun investigating the cause of the window failure. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) confirmed that a window broke on the flight and stated it would assist the Hellenic Civil Aviation Authority (HCAA) and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) in their inquiry. Details regarding the technical aspects of the incident, such as whether maintenance checks were conducted prior to departure or if there were previous reports of similar issues with the aircraft, remain under review. The incident has raised questions about safety protocols on commercial flights, particularly concerning the structural integrity of aircraft windows and the effectiveness of emergency procedures in high-stress situations. As the investigation unfolds, aviation experts will likely scrutinize the sequence of events leading up to the window failure and assess whether any preventive measures could have mitigated the risk. In the meantime, the focus remains on the recovery of Karović, whose survival is attributed largely to the quick actions of his wife and fellow passengers.