When an American F-15E fighter jet was shot down over Iran on April 2, two U.S. Air Force officers were left stranded in a rugged mountain range while pursued by Iranian forces. The $30 million jet, on a mission call sign DUDE 44, was brought down by a shoulder-fired missile. The weapon systems officer, known by his call sign Bravo, sustained a broken back, broken arm, broken shoulder, and sprained ankle after hitting the ground at speeds estimated between 70 and 100 mph when his parachute failed to deploy properly. Despite severe injuries, Bravo moved away from the landing site and climbed a 7,000-foot Iranian ridgeline to find concealment as roughly 1,500 Iranian troops searched the area. The pilot, Alpha, was rescued during a daring daytime raid on the first day, while Bravo had to survive for nearly two days in the cold desert with almost no food or water. A massive rescue operation involving the CIA, American bombers, and about 92 special operators on the ground ultimately reached Bravo on the ridgeline using Little Bird helicopters. Fifty hours after being shot down, Bravo was successfully rescued alongside the elite operators, and the marooned rescue aircraft was destroyed to prevent technology from falling into Iranian hands.
Source: cbsnews.com
