A Serbian entrepreneur who was partially pulled through a shattered window of a Ryanair flight has detailed his harrowing survival, describing the terrifying moments when rapid cabin decompression nearly cost him his life at 15,000 feet.<\/p>\n
Ljubisa Karovi\u0107, 61, was traveling on a July 10 Malta Air-operated Ryanair flight from Thessaloniki, Greece, to Memmingen, Germany, when a sudden engine malfunction sent debris tearing into the fuselage. The impact shattered a cabin window, triggering an immediate and violent loss of cabin pressure.<\/p>\n
According to his legal representative, Vasilis Tsiaras, Karovi\u0107 was instantly thrust headfirst out of the aircraft from the chest up, losing consciousness as the plane traveled at speeds exceeding 600 km\/h (373 mph). Tsiaras noted that Karovi\u0107 was “alive by mistake,” having survived the extreme forces of high-altitude exposure and wind shear primarily because his seatbelt remained fastened.<\/p>\n
The rescue effort inside the cabin was led not by the crew, but by Karovi\u0107\u2019s wife, Svetlana, and fellow passengers. Svetlana, who was seated three rows behind her husband, rushed to his aid alongside an Albanian passenger. Together, they managed to pull Karovi\u0107 back into the cabin. The passengers then attempted to seal the gaping hole, first with a bag\u2014which was instantly sucked out of the aircraft\u2014and then with a suitcase, which successfully resisted the pressure differential.<\/p>\n
Svetlana criticized the cabin crew’s response, claiming they failed to assist during the immediate crisis. Ryanair has strongly disputed this characterization, stating that during a rapid depressurization and emergency descent, safety protocols require all crew members to remain seated and utilize oxygen masks. The airline maintained that flight attendants attended to Karovi\u0107 and coordinated medical services as soon as the aircraft reached a safe altitude.<\/p>\n
Standard aviation safety procedures dictate that in the event of explosive decompression, flight crews must prioritize securing their own oxygen supply to prevent hypoxia before assisting passengers. Hypoxia can cause cognitive impairment and unconsciousness within seconds at high altitudes.<\/p>\n