Passenger partially sucked out of window during plane flight — his wife and others held on to him

One passenger had a terrifying ordeal when his window broke soon after takeoff and he was partially sucked to the outside of the plane.

On Friday morning, the unidentified man was traveling from Thessaloniki in Greece to Memmingen in Germany on a budget Ryanair flight before the harrowing incident. The flight was directed to turn back to Thessaloniki and reportedly landed safely.

'The injured man was bleeding and initially fainted.'

The man was sucked out of the window head-first up to his shoulders, according to public broadcaster ERT in Greece.

Other passengers rushed to hold him down and prevent him from being sucked out even more.

He was treated for shock and other injuries, while the rest of the passengers were transferred to another flight, according to Ryanair.

One witness described the incident.

"We were sitting a bit further back from where it happened; all we heard was a loud noise, and then the oxygen masks dropped," the witness said. "The injured man was bleeding and initially fainted."

According to the doctor who treated the man, he was 61 years old, and his wife had to hold on to his feet to keep him in the plane.

A Greek flight official told ABC News that the Ryanair Boeing 737 suffered an engine failure that led to parts hitting the fuselage and damaging the window.

"Ryanair flight from Thessaloniki to Memmingen on Friday morning (10 July) returned to Thessaloniki shortly after takeoff when a passenger window dislodged inflight," read a statement from Ryanair. "The aircraft landed normally and passengers returned to the terminal."

The statement continued: "One passenger requested and received medical assistance on the ground in Thessaloniki."

Video from the aftermath of the incident showed the oxygen masks hanging from the ceiling and the broken window.

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The aircraft was delivered by Boeing in 2008.

The Hellenic Air and Rail Safety Investigation Authority is investigating the incident.

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