The Boeing 737 Max 8 crashed six minutes after taking off from Addis Ababa in Ethiopia on Sunday, killing all 157 people on board shortly 8 minutes after taking off. But there was one passenger on board who initially thought he was unlucky because he missed his flight after arriving two minutes late in the boarding gate but later found out that it was his luckiest day.

Antonis Mavropoulos, president of the non-profit International Solid Waste Association was the only passenger who didn’t board and got saved.  “I had a 30 minute connection and my flight arrived on time. My connection ambassador came after I left the plane,” he said of the company employee that was supposed to take him to his next flight.

“He was trying to find me. I would like to say many thanks to this ambassador who saved my life. My luggage was on me and they didn’t need to wait for me. I saw the last passengers in the corridor,” he told the BBC.

He said that he was put on a next flight to Nairobi but he found out about the plane crash only when he was stopped from boarding his next flight. He couldn’t thank god enough after this. Initially he was so mad at the airport staffs for not helping him out but the officer told him to pray but not protest. Only if he had arrived on time, he would have no certainty of his life.

Mr. Mavropoulos was taken to police station for a brief questionnaire about how he was the only passenger who didn’t take off. He was traveling to Nairobi for attending a UN session. Many of his friends who were also travelling to the session were on the flight.

He expresses his gratitude to be living and escaping this unfortunate situation.