Airman shot down in Iran shares harrowing rescue story

The American airman rescued from Iran after his aircraft was shot down in April discussed the risky recovery operation in a "60 Minutes" interview. During free fall, his damaged parachute slowed his descent, and he suffered severe injuries, breaking his back, an arm and a shoulder, and sustaining a sprained ankle. While the pilot was rescued shortly after the crash, "Bravo" was rescued 50 hours later.

Both crew members have not been identified publicly to protect their safety. Prior to the interview, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and political appointees pushed for the airmen to participate despite military reservations about revealing sensitive information. The rescue involved hundreds of American personnel, including special operations forces and CIA operatives, who used deception tactics to avoid Iran's detection.

The operation faced challenges, such as damaged transport aircraft, but the airmen were eventually rescued and the aircraft destroyed to prevent falling into Iranian hands.