She Was A 23-Year-Old Flight Attendant Working Onboard A Yugoslav Airlines Flight That Exploded In Mid-Air In 1972, Yet She Miraculously Survived The Fall Without A Parachute

On January 26, 1972, a Yugoslav Airlines flight exploded in mid-air, killing all but one member onboard the plane: Vesna Vulović, a 23-year-old Serbian flight attendant.

She miraculously survived the fall from the aircraft without a parachute. Her story highlights the importance of finding the strength to rise again and serves as a reminder that even in the face of adversity, there is always hope.

The aircraft had been carrying 28 passengers and crew members on a flight from Zagreb, Croatia, to Belgrade, Serbia. Everything had been going smoothly until they neared Srbská Kamenice, Czechoslovakia.

It was then that a bomb went off in the cabin of the plane while it was 33,000 feet in the air. The bomb was believed to have been brought on board by Croatian nationalists.

It is assumed that Vulović had been sitting in the back of the plane, which had remained relatively intact after the explosion. The snow-covered forest she landed in also helped to cushion the impact.

However, she suffered numerous injuries: a fractured skull, broken legs and vertebrae, and internal bleeding. Bruno Henke, a doctor who was in the German army during World War Two, was the one who found her battered and bruised. He tended to her until medical assistance arrived.

In the hospital, Vulović spent several days in a coma. But to everyone's surprise, she asked for a cigarette upon waking up. Her treatment took 16 months. For 10 of those months, she was paralyzed from the waist down. Eventually, she recovered and even learned to walk again.

Vulović went on to work for JAT Yugoslav Airlines for 27 years. After her accident, she asked to fly on flights again, but her request was denied. Instead, she was given a job at the airline's office. You might be wondering how she had the courage to even consider stepping foot on a plane again.

Well, that can be explained by the fact that Vulović had no recollection of plummeting to the Earth or her subsequent rescue. In 2008, she revealed in an interview that she only remembered greeting passengers after takeoff and then waking up in the hospital.

den-belitsky - stock.adobe.com - illustrative purposes only

Vulović's recovery was considered a medical marvel. She captured the attention of people all over Yugoslavia and became a national hero.

In 2009, the Guinness World Records officially recognized her as the person who survived the highest fall without a parachute.

In 2016, Vulović passed away in her home at the age of 66. Her story still stands as a testament to the resilience of the human spirit to overcome the most challenging of obstacles.

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