US pilot reveals how he survived 50 hours with broken back in Iranian mountains after being shot down by enemy forces | Today’s news
For nearly two days, wounded and alone in enemy territory, the US Air Force colonel hid in the mountains of Iran as enemy forces closed in around him. With a damaged parachute, a broken back, arm and shoulder and no certainty that help would arrive, the officer spent nearly 50 hours waiting for rescue after his fighter jet was shot down.
The dramatic account of his survival and eventual rescue has now been detailed by CBS News’ “60 Minutes,” which spoke to the officer in his first public account of the incident.
American fighter jet shot down near Isfahan
The officer, known publicly only by his call sign “Bravo” for security reasons, was a weapons systems officer aboard the two-seat F-15E fighter jet.
The aircraft, operating under the mission call sign “Dude 44”, was reportedly shot down by an “Iranian shoulder-fired missile” on April 2 during a mission near Isfahan.
CBS News reported that the aircraft carried out a raid on industrial facilities linked to Iran’s drone and missile programs.
After the plane was hit, both crew members ejected. However, Bravo and the pilot, referred to as “Alpha”, became separated during descent.
The damaged parachute sent the Bravo falling at 70-100 mph
Bravo’s ordeal became even more dangerous when his parachute failed to deploy properly. It fell to the ground at an estimated speed of 70 to 100 miles per hour before landing in a mountainous desert area.
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The fall resulted in multiple injuries, including a broken back, arm and shoulder.
“At one point, when I looked up and there was no parachute, it was the scariest thing I’ve ever seen,” Bravo told 60 Minutes in his first public account of the incident.
Despite the severity of his injuries, Bravo walked away from the crash site. He later made his way to a ridge estimated to be 7,000 feet high, where he hid in the mountainous terrain.
“Right then, I paused and prayed, ‘Lord, your will be done. But if I’m coming out of this, I need help,'” he said.
The rescue team was initially unable to find Bravo
Bravo landed about five miles away from Alpha. While Alpha was located and rescued by US forces several hours after the jet went down, the rescue team was unable to locate Bravo and eventually had to withdraw.
The search then turned into a race against time, with Iranian forces also moving through the area in an attempt to find downed American airmen.
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US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth was informed of the incident after the plane was lost and ordered preparations to search for the crew.
“Whether they’re alive or not, we’re going to go get them,” Hegseth said, according to CBS News.
General Dan Caine, chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, said Iranian ground forces had come within a few hundred meters of Bravo.
“There was a clear intention from the Iranian ground forces to come find those two guys,” Caine said.
A CIA undercover operation helped find the airmen
Bravo eventually managed to establish contact with American forces and reported that he was wounded but still moving.
According to CBS News, the CIA then combined intelligence capabilities with a deception operation to determine Bravo’s location.
Before another rescue attempt, the US military reportedly launched strikes against Iranian Revolutionary Guards forces near the area where Bravo was hiding.
More than 90 US service members were deployed in the operation. Hundreds more participated in the air operation, and several thousand personnel provided additional support.
Rescue forces used search and rescue aircraft along with smaller helicopters to reach Bravo in the rugged mountainous area.
‘One of the greatest moments of my life’
After nearly 50 hours alone, Bravo finally saw a rescue team approaching.
He described seeing the rescuers as “one of the greatest moments of my life”.
When reached by the team, Bravo said his answer was simple:
However, the operation is not over yet. CBS News reported that two US planes landed on a makeshift airstrip in the desert but got stuck in the sand.
The stranded planes and helicopters were subsequently destroyed by the US military to prevent sensitive equipment from falling into Iranian hands.
Bravo finally flew out of Iran as the sun rose on Easter Sunday, nearly 50 hours after his F-15E was shot down.
