Plunging Over Ten Thousand Meters: The Remarkable Story of Vesna Vulović Surviving a Catastrophic Fall
In a remarkable tale of survival, Vesna Vulović, a Serbian flight attendant, miraculously lived through a fall of 10,160 meters (33,333 feet) from a crashing plane on JAT Flight 367. The incident occurred on 26th January 1972, over the village of Srbská Kamenice in Czechoslovakia.
The explosion that caused the crash occurred at 4:01 pm, and of the 28 people on board, only Vesna Vulović survived. The cause of the explosion was a brownish-red suitcase containing explosives and pyrotechnics, which was triggered by an alarm clock mechanism.
Vulović was rescued by Bruno Honke, a local medic, who found her trapped in the debris of the crashed plane. Despite her injuries, which included a fractured skull, three broken vertebrae that left her temporarily paralyzed from the waist down, and multiple other bone fractures, she eventually recovered sufficiently to walk with a limp.
The wreckage of the crashed plane had a relatively fortunate landing, crashing into a heavily wooded area and a snowy hill, which could have helped to soften the fall. Vulović was pinned by a food cart inside the rear of the aircraft, which remained largely intact when the plane broke apart following the mid-air explosion.
The official story was that the bomb was planted by Croatian nationalists as a middle finger to the Yugoslav government. However, alternative theories suggest that the plane was accidentally shot down by a Czechoslovak fighter jet, with the bomb story possibly fabricated by Communist authorities to cover the incident. This theory claims the plane fell from a lower altitude, making Vulović's survival less miraculous but still remarkable.
Peter Hornung, an investigative journalist in Prague, said in 2009 that the Czechoslovak secret police managed to spread the bomb story throughout the world, and no doubts have ever been expressed regarding the fall. Despite the almost unbelievable nature of her survival, no definitive scientific explanation exists beyond the combination of factors like being trapped in the rear fuselage, the impact being softened by terrain and snow, and sheer luck.
In 1985, Guinness World Records recognized Vulović as the record holder for surviving the highest fall without a parachute. Vesna Vulović passed away on December 23, 2016, at the age of 66, but the cause of her death was not disclosed.
Vulović became a minor celebrity and national heroine in her later years, but she lived a secluded life with her cats in Belgrade and showed signs of survivor's guilt. Despite her injuries, she resumed working in aviation, albeit not as a flight attendant due to the publicity. The incident continues to be a fascinating study in survival and a testament to the human spirit's resilience.
References:
- www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-29243981
- www.history.com/news/vesna-vulovic-survived-highest-fall-without-parachute
- www.encyclopedia.com/people/history/vesna-vulovic
- www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/highest-unassisted-fall-survived
Science and health-and-wellness perspectives offer no definitive explanation for Vesna Vulović's survival from the fall, but they acknowledge factors like being trapped in the rear fuselage, the impact being softened by terrain and snow, and sheer luck. Mental-health professionals might find Vulović's resilience in the face of adversity a compelling case study, while medicine has recorded her as having recovered sufficiently to walk with a limp after fracturing a skull, breaking multiple bones, and being temporarily paralyzed from the waist down.
