A U.S. Air Force colonel, part of a two-man F-15E Strike Eagle crew, is speaking publicly for the first time after being shot down over Iran in April and spending about two days evading Iranian forces. In interviews with 60 Minutes, he describes ejecting from the aircraft, sustaining injuries, and surviving on the ground until he was located and recovered by U.S. forces.
The outlets describe the rescue as one of the most complex in U.S. military history, involving Air Force and American special forces. In the accounts, the officer explains how he managed to avoid capture and what he said to his rescuers when they arrived. CBS frames the story through multiple excerpts and “takeaways” from his extended conversation with correspondent Norah O’Donnell, while the New York Post highlights his characterization of the experience as exceptionally terrifying, including details about his parachute as he fell after the aircraft was shot down.
Across reports, the core details remain consistent: the shootdown, the colonel’s survival for nearly two days behind enemy lines, and a complex recovery operation that brought him and his crewmate home.
