World News
50 Hours Alone in Iran: The American Airman Who Survived Behind Enemy Lines
A U.S. weapons systems officer known as “Bravo” has described how he survived a fall of up to 100 mph and evaded Iranian forces. Badly injured, he spent two days alone behind enemy lines before a rescue team reached him.
IllustrationThe American weapons systems officer known as “Bravo” revealed in the season premiere of “60 Minutes,” which aired overnight Sunday into Monday, how he survived for 50 hours in Iran after the F-15E he was flying in was shot down. The officer appeared on camera for the interview, but his name remains classified.
The aircraft, valued at about $30 million, was downed on the night of April 2-3 by a shoulder-fired missile estimated to cost around $100,000. U.S. Central Command chief Adm. Brad Cooper made clear that the aircraft had struck industrial facilities connected to Iran’s missile and drone programs, not the nearby nuclear facility in Isfahan. By then, U.S. forces had carried out roughly 13,000 sorties.
Bravo and the pilot, “Alpha,” who had never flown together before, described the impact as “like getting hit by a freight train.” Alpha activated the ejection seats, and the two landed about five miles apart. Of Alpha’s decision to eject, Bravo said: “I’ll be grateful to Alpha until my last day for saving our lives.”
The hit damaged Bravo’s parachute: “At one point, I looked up and didn’t see a parachute. It was the scariest thing I’ve ever seen in my life.” During the fall, he prayed: “God, Your will be done. But if I make it out of this, I need help.” He struck the ground at an estimated speed of 68 to 100 mph and suffered fractures in his back, arm and shoulder, a sprained ankle, and bleeding injuries to his head and face. Asked how he survived, he replied: “A modern miracle. I have no other explanation.”
His survival kit was also lost, leaving him without food and with little water. Despite his injuries, he made his way to a ridge roughly 6,900 feet high and hid from around 1,500 Iranian personnel operating within a 10-mile radius, some of them just a few hundred yards away. Speaking about the willpower that drove him through those hours, he said: “Never let a lack of motivation get you on Iranian television.”
Alpha was rescued six hours later in an operation involving 21 aircraft, but the team could not reach Bravo. After finding shelter, he sent three messages: “I’m injured,” “I’m moving,” and “God is good.” Another rescue attempt was delayed by 24 hours, and the CIA launched a deception operation and used covert technology to locate him, while bombers and drones struck Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps forces closing in on him.
In the final operation, 92 troops landed in Iran, hundreds more operated in the air, and between 3,000 and 5,000 people supported the mission overall. Two aircraft landed on an improvised runway and unloaded “Little Bird” helicopters, which made their way to the ridge. When he saw the rescuers, Bravo said: “Let’s move.”
