'If We Die, We Die Together': Wife Of Man Sucked Out Of Plane Says She Held Onto His Legs

Published 14 July 2026 · india

'If We Die, We Die Together': Wife Of Man Sucked Out Of Plane Says She Held Onto His Legs Published By, Last Updated: July 14

'If We Die, We Die Together': Wife Of Man Sucked Out Of Plane Says She Held Onto His Legs Published By, Last Updated: July 14, 2026, 20:36 IST With the help of two fellow passengers, Grković managed to pull her husband back inside the aircraft after he lost consciousness multiple times. Svetlana Grković said she held onto her husband's legs as he was left hanging outside a Ryanair plane after a window dislodged mid-flight. (IMAGE: AFP FILE) Svetlana Grković, the wife of Ljubisa Karović — the man who was partially sucked out of a Germany-bound Ryanair plane mid-flight — has recalled how she grabbed onto his legs in a desperate bid to save him. “Half of his body was sticking out of the plane. I immediately reacted and grabbed his legs. He was outside up to his chest," Grković told Serbian outlet Nova.

She said that throughout the terrifying ordeal, only one thought crossed her mind: “If we die, we die together." With the help of two fellow passengers, Grković managed to pull her husband back inside the aircraft after he lost consciousness multiple times. The couple were on the flight, operated by Ryanair subsidiary Malta Air, from Thessaloniki in Greece to Memmingen in Germany when, about 10 minutes after take-off, the aircraft suddenly descended 9,000 feet (2,700 metres), according to flight tracking data. Passengers told local media that Karović had kept his seatbelt fastened, helping those on board hold onto him while his upper body remained outside the aircraft in the slipstream. The 61-year-old remains in hospital in Greece and is “seriously injured and in shock", Grković said. “It’s important to me that he’s alive," she said. “His hand is particularly badly injured, and he’s got burns.

He’s not able to communicate. He doesn’t remember the whole event." Grković also thanked two fellow passengers who helped save her husband. “Some people came to my aid. I remember one man and one woman. That man helped me a lot, Ljubisa and me. I think he was Albanian, thank you very much. I didn’t remember his name, I don’t even know if he told me. I would like to meet him, to thank him personally again." News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit Key Questions Answered What caused the sudden descent of the Ryanair plane? A damaged window caused a passenger to be partially pulled toward the opening on a Ryanair subsidiary flight. This incident led to questions about cabin safety. Pilots are trained to respond to such events, like rapid decompression, by descending to a safer altitude.