‘Safe and Sound’: Dramatic Rescue of U.S. Airman From Iranian Mountain After Jet Was Shot Down

(SeaPRwire) –   A United States Air Force member who had been missing behind enemy lines for over 24 hours after his F-15E fighter jet was shot down in Iran on Friday has been successfully rescued, President Donald Trump announced early Saturday morning.

“WE GOT HIM!” Trump posted on Truth Social shortly after midnight. He added, “The U.S. Military dispatched numerous aircraft, equipped with the world’s most potent weaponry, to retrieve him. He sustained injuries, but he will be perfectly fine.”

According to accounts from multiple U.S. officials regarding the incident, the F-15E jet crashed over southwestern Iran on Friday, forcing the pilot and the weapons systems officer (WSO) to eject. While the pilot was rescued shortly thereafter, the second airman—identified by Trump as a “highly respected Colonel”—spent more than 24 hours evading capture in the mountainous terrain.

Trump stated, “This courageous Warrior was behind enemy lines in the perilous mountains of Iran, being pursued by our adversaries, who were closing in with each passing hour.”

The F-15E marked the first U.S. military aircraft to be downed within Iran since the commencement of the Iran war on February 28, when the U.S. and Israel initiated a surprise assault that resulted in the death of the country’s Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, and over 100 schoolchildren in a single day.

Another U.S. warplane, an A-10 Warthog, also crashed near the Strait of Hormuz on Friday. The Iranian military claimed responsibility for shooting down the A-10 and released a video purportedly showing the aircraft being downed, though U.S. officials have not confirmed the cause of the crash.

During the operation to locate the missing airman on Friday, two rescue helicopters were also struck.

Iran’s state television broadcast a video on Sunday, which it claimed depicted two American helicopters and a transport plane shot down by the country’s military during the rescue mission for the second F-15 airman. However, U.S. officials informed the Associated Press that the U.S. military intentionally destroyed the aircraft after they experienced malfunctions.

Hiding in a mountain crevice

Based on accounts provided by U.S. officials to various news organizations, the airman utilized his mandatory Survival, Evasion, Resistance, and Escape (SERE) training to avoid capture for a day and a half.

The rescue operation involved hundreds of special forces troops and military personnel, in addition to dozens of U.S. warplanes and helicopters.

Following his crash landing, the colonel reportedly ascended to a higher ridge and activated an emergency beacon, which enabled U.S. forces to pinpoint his location, according to two U.S. officials who spoke with Fox News.

Concurrently, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) announced its search efforts in the vicinity of the pilot’s crash site, and Iranian officials issued a public appeal to locals for assistance in finding the crew member, offering a reward of $60,000.

Videos circulated online showed local residents from the area where the jet went down organizing search parties to locate the airman. The New York Times reported that U.S. aircraft dropped bombs on convoys that approached the area where the airman was concealed.

Upon locating the airman, he was transported to two MC-130J aircraft that were positioned nearby for his exfiltration from the country. However, the aircraft encountered malfunctions, leading U.S. forces to destroy at least one of them, a U.S. official told Reuters.

Trump announced just after midnight on Saturday that the airman, whom he referred to as a “highly respected Colonel,” was “SAFE and SOUND!”

This is a developing story and will be updated.