Wounded US Airman Hid in Dangerous Mountain Terrain in Iran and Avoided $60,000 Bounty for 36 Hours Before He Was Rescued

A wounded U.S. Airman managed to stay hidden in harsh, dangerous mountain terrain for 36 hours, avoiding capture by Iranian forces, before being successfully rescued by Navy SEAL commandos. The colonel, left stranded with only a pistol to defend himself, was wounded after ejecting from an F-15 fighter jet that had been shot down over southern Iran on Friday.

Trapped deep behind enemy lines but still able to move, he pushed through the rugged terrain—at one point climbing a 7,000-foot ridgeline—while U.S. aircraft launched strikes on an approaching Iranian convoy to keep it at bay. President Trump described his rescue as “one of the most daring search-and-rescue operations.”

Dogging Enemy Gunfire

As enemy troops closed in minute by minute, the U.S. military launched a bold nighttime rescue mission—one that Trump later praised as “miraculous.” “WE GOT HIM! My fellow Americans, over the past several hours, the United States Military pulled off one of the most daring Search and Rescue Operations in U.S. History, for one of our incredible Crew Member Officers, who also happens to be a highly respected Colonel, and who I am thrilled to let you know is now SAFE and SOUND!” Trump posted on Truth Social on Sunday.

Tehran had put a $60,000 bounty on the weapons systems officer, triggering a race between Iranian forces and the U.S. to find the missing airman first.

Meanwhile, the pilot was rescued within just 45 minutes after the jet crashed in rough, mountainous terrain.

An Israeli security official said that Israel had shared intelligence with the U.S. and played a role in stopping Iran’s attacks during the rescue mission.

Two aircraft that were supposed to evacuate the airman and his rescue team ended up stranded at a remote base inside Iran, according to reports. To stop them from falling into Iranian hands, they were destroyed.

U.S. forces then turned to three other transport planes, which successfully flew the airman and his rescuers out of Iran.

Not Alone

Trump later said the airman was “never truly alone,” explaining that his Secretary of War Pete Hegseth and fellow warfighters had been tracking his position around the clock. “At my direction, the U.S. Military sent dozens of aircraft, armed with the most lethal weapons in the world, to retrieve him,” he said.

The rescue came after a search-and-recovery mission was launched following Friday’s crash of an F-15E Strike Eagle, while Iran had also offered a reward to anyone who handed over an “enemy pilot.”

“This brave Warrior was behind enemy lines in the treacherous mountains of Iran, being hunted down by our enemies, who were getting closer and closer by the hour,” Trump said.

On Sunday morning, Iran’s state television aired footage that it claimed showed wreckage from American aircraft shot down by its forces, along with an image of thick black smoke billowing into the sky. The channel also alleged that Iran had downed a U.S. transport plane and two helicopters involved in the rescue mission.

However, a regional intelligence official familiar with the operation told The Associated Press a different version of events, saying the U.S. military had destroyed two of its own transport planes after they suffered technical problems, and had to deploy additional aircraft to complete the mission.

Meanwhile, the Iranian military claimed that the U.S. rescue operation made use of an abandoned airport located in southern Isfahan province.