Some stories behind world records are hard to believe, but Vesna Vulović’s journey to claiming hers is sure to leave anyone stunned.
On 26 January 1972, Vesna boarded JAT Yugoslav Airlines Flight 367 from Copenhagen, Denmark, with a destination of Belgrade, Serbia.
A mix-up by the airline mistakenly assigned her to the flight instead of another crew member with the same name.
The JAT Yugoslav Airlines aircraft exploded over Srbska Kamenice, a village that was then part of Czechoslovakia.
Many passengers were reportedly thrown from the plane due to the sudden change in air pressure, resulting in instant fatalities.
The wreckage hit a forested area covered in deep snow, which played a crucial role in cushioning her fall and ultimately saving her life.
She has no memory of what happened during the incident.
The fall left Vesna with severe injuries, including a fractured skull, broken vertebrae, broken legs, multiple broken ribs, and a fractured pelvis. Yet, she managed to survive.
She slipped into a coma for several days and had no recollection of anything from an hour before the crash to a month afterward.
Talking to Green Light, Vesna said: “The first thing I remember is seeing my parents in the hospital. I was talking to them asking them why they were with me in Slovenia. I thought I was in Slovenia because I was just in Ljubljana before going to Copenhagen.”
The crash was believed to have been caused by a bomb hidden in a suitcase that detonated in the luggage compartment.
Although the Croatian terrorist group, the Ustashe, was suspected to be responsible, no arrests were ever made related to the incident.
Her astonishing survival from a height of over six miles earned her a Guinness World Record for the highest fall survived without a parachute.
Vesna passed away in 2016 at the age of 66.
“The accident ruined their lives, too. Maybe I was born in the wrong place. Maybe it was a bad place.”
