Ryanair passenger ‘sucked out’ of window whilst on flight with wife shares what airline said to him

A man who was 'sucked out' of the window on a Ryanair flight earlier this month has revealed what's happened in the aftermath of the 'nightmare' ordeal.

Serbian national Ljubisa Karovic, 61, made headlines on 10 July when his flight from Thessaloniki, Greece to Memmingen, Germany, took a shocking turn after the window he was sitting next to shattered and half of his body was 'sucked out' of the aircraft.

His wife Svetlana, 48, who was sitting three rows behind her husband, sprang into action alongside other brave passengers and helped save his life by grabbing onto his legs, while his right shoulder, arm, and head were outside the plane.

Thankfully, passengers managed to block the window with a large suitcase, and Ljubisa was pulled inside and rushed to a Greek hospital, where he spent just under a week.

The 61-year-old was partially 'sucked out' of a plane window earlier this month (Facebook/Ljubisa Karovic)

The incident left him with acute neck and shoulder pain, a neck brace he’ll have to wear for six weeks, and potentially an operation if the pain continues. He was also treated for burns caused by the wind.

Speaking to the Daily Mail from a villa just outside Thessaloniki, where he is recovering, Ljubisa admitted: “I don’t remember anything at all because I immediately passed out. But the whole thing has been like a nightmare. I can’t even sleep at night; all I can hear when I close my eyes is the sound of an explosion, and then there is chaos in my head.”

He recalled: “I lost consciousness when I was hanging out of the plane, and then they tell me that I fainted three more times after I was dragged back in. My face was swollen, and my ear was like a giant doughnut.”

Ljubisa and Svetlana also hit out at how Ryanair handled the incident, alleging they failed to help during the terrifying moment, nor get in touch with them specifically afterwards.

Ljubisa claimed: “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.”

His wife and other passengers held onto his legs to keep him inside the plane (BBC)

His wife added: “When we were battling to hold onto Ljubisa, the crew didn’t do anything, they looked more scared than us. It was only the passengers who helped and were brave.

“We are going to be dealing with the aftermath of this for a very long time, because it’s caused us a lot of psychological damage. But nobody from the airline has been in touch with either of us, which is disgusting.”

The outlet reports that the couple is being represented by a Greek lawyer, Vasilis Tsiaras, who is aiming to secure ‘significant compensation’.

He told the Daily Mail: “My client came back from the brink of death, and we want to make sure that whoever is responsible for this is held accountable. It’s not just about compensation but about establishing the truth as to what happened and the condition of this aircraft.”

An investigation is being carried out by the US National Transportation Safety Board (Getty Stock Image)

Ryanair's chief financial officer, Neil Sorahan, previously said the company is 'very happy' with the safety standards of its fleet, adding that they 'operate at the highest standards of European aviation regulations'.

The incident is now being handled and investigated by the US National Transportation Safety Board, which has examined the aircraft and is expected to issue a draft report in around 28 days.

Ryanair told Tyla the airline will not be making any further comment while the incident is under formal investigation.