US Releases Footage of Pilot Rescued From Iran

News Desk

Islamabad: US Central Command (CENTCOM) has released video footage showing the dramatic rescue of a US Air Force pilot who survived for nearly 50 hours in mountainous terrain inside Iran after his F-15E aircraft was shot down.

The footage, released five months after the incident, captures the recovery operation following the April downing of the US warplane.

The aircraft was carrying two crew members. One was rescued within hours of the crash, while the other remained injured and concealed in the mountainous region for approximately two days before US special operations personnel reached him.

The rescued officer, a colonel serving as the aircraft’s weapons systems officer, suffered a broken shoulder and back after his parachute failed to deploy properly during the incident.

Despite his injuries, he managed to evade Iranian forces and survive in difficult terrain. He reportedly spent two days hiding before climbing a mountain estimated to be about 7,000 feet high, a move that ultimately helped him avoid detection and survive until the rescue team arrived.

Speaking publicly about the ordeal for the first time, the officer described the difficult conditions he endured while injured and stranded inside Iranian territory.

The newly released footage provides a glimpse into the high-risk recovery mission and the efforts by US special operations forces to locate and evacuate the stranded crew member.