Airman shares rescue story after Iran shot down jet, saying him surviving was a 'miracle'

A U.S. Air Force colonel, interviewed by CBS’s 60 Minutes, described surviving after his jet was shot down in Iran shortly after the conflict began. Appearing under his call sign “Bravo,” the officer said the missile hit in April and his parachute was damaged by the blast. “At one point… seeing no parachute” was the most terrifying moment, he told Norah O’Donnell. Bravo and his partner, “Alpha,” ejected; Alpha landed safely, while Bravo landed hard about five miles away in Isfahan, Iran, with a broken back, shoulder and arm. Despite injuries, he hiked a 7,000-foot ridgeline and sent updates after forces began search operations. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth pushed for a rescue within 24 hours.