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A U.S. Air Force colonel shot down over Iran in April said he prayed while free-falling at an estimated 70-100 miles per hour (mph) after an Iranian man-portable air-defense system (MANPADS) damaged his parachute.
The officer, identified by his mission call sign "Bravo" because of security threats, broke his back, arm and shoulder after hitting the ground and survived two days behind enemy lines before being rescued.
"At one point when I looked up and saw no parachute, that was the most terrifying thing I've ever seen," Bravo said in his first public account of what happened in CBS News' 60 Minutes program.
"So I paused, right then, and I prayed, 'Lord, your will be done. But if I'm getting through this, I need help.'"
Bravo described his survival as a "modern-day miracle."
"I believe that it's a testament to God's provision in my life to bring me through that moment in a way that didn't prevent injuries, but prevented any catastrophic injuries that would have affected my ability to survive," he said.
The U.S. military has flown about 13,000 missions in the war with Iran, according to Adm. Brad Cooper, the American commander of U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) leading U.S. forces in the Middle East.
Dude 44's mission on the night of April 2 took place near a mountainous area south of Isfahan.
Cooper said the mission was to strike industrial facilities related to Iran's drone and missile programs, not the Isfahan nuclear facility.
"We had air superiority, but clearly we weren't flying over Kansas," Cooper said.
The F-15E, a two-seat fighter, was brought down by a shoulder-fired missile that can cost around $100,000. The aircraft cost $30 million.
"That day was just another day in the war for us, until the moment where we got hit by an Iranian weapon," Bravo said.
Bravo was the weapons-systems officer on the two-person crew. Alpha was the pilot.
When the missile struck, Bravo said the impact felt like "getting hit by a freight train." The crew tried to save the aircraft but soon ejected.
"We do all we can to try to save the aircraft. It was evident that that wasn't possible. And soon thereafter, we ejected and found ourselves floating over the heart of Iran," Bravo said.
He said he remained grateful to Alpha for ejecting them.
"I will be thankful, to my dying day, for my pilot and crewmate, Alpha, for saving our lives and ejecting us," Bravo said.
Alpha and Bravo landed about 5 miles apart in the rugged Iranian desert. Alpha landed safely, while Bravo's parachute was damaged during the attack.
Bravo said he was free-falling and focused on trying to correct the problems with his parachute rather than his speed.
"Free-falling is a good way to put it. I wasn't focused on the speed at which I was falling. I was instead focused on trying to correct the problems that were in front of me and doing anything I could to unfurl or pull pieces of the parachute loose," he said.
Based on his injuries, military professionals estimated that Bravo hit the ground at between 70 and 100 mph.
"A modern-day miracle," Bravo said when asked how he survived.
The fall broke his back and caused a broken arm, broken shoulder, sprained ankle and cuts and scrapes to his head and face.
"I had injuries, but we all train to adapt and overcome the things that are– that we're faced with. I moved as quickly as I could, despite the injuries, away from the place that I landed," Bravo said.
As daylight emerged, Bravo saw high desert valleys and cliffs around him.
He decided the safest place was higher ground and climbed a 7,000-foot ridgeline despite his broken bones.
"Never let a lack of motivation put you on Iranian TV," Bravo said when asked how he found the strength to climb the mountain.
Iranian forces searched for the downed crew after the crash.
Videos emerged online showing armed groups hunting for them, while U.S. military sources said Iranian forces came within a few hundred meters of Bravo.
"There was clear intent out of the Iranian ground force to come find those two guys," Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and a former fighter pilot, said.
Cooper said U.S. forces closely tracked Iranian forces during the rescue operation.
"We were tracking Iranian forces like BBs. There were about 1,500 within a 10-mile radius, and we were watching them very closely," Cooper said.
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said he was awakened after the fighter jet went down.
"Whether they're alive or not, we're gonna go get 'em," Hegseth said.
Six hours after the shootdown, U.S. forces rescued Alpha during a risky daytime raid. American helicopters took fire during the operation.
"It was a gun fight all the way in and all the way out. But they got Alpha back," Hegseth said.
Alpha's rescue force was unable to locate Bravo and eventually withdrew.
As night fell, Bravo managed to send a message to U.S. forces.
"When I got to the moment where I could review and think about all that I'd gone through, I sent, ‘God is good,’ as a recognition of all that he had brought me through," Bravo said.
Cooper said Bravo also sent a message indicating he was injured and moving.
"There was a ‘I'm hurt, I'm moving,’ and there was a ‘God is good’ message that came in there. Now we knew he was alive. He's moving. OK, let's keep planning," Cooper said.
A rescue attempt was considered that night but did not proceed.
"That was a really tough decision," Hegseth said, adding, "I'll never forget being in the situation room and saying, ‘OK, I guess we're gonna roll 24,’ which means, ‘Hey, Bravo's gonna be out there for basically 24 hours more.’"
Bravo then spent another full day with almost no water or food in the wind and cold of the high mountain desert.
The CIA played a pivotal role in the rescue, using a multipronged deception campaign to confuse Iranian forces and top-secret technology to pinpoint Bravo's location.
American bombers and drones also struck Iranian Revolutionary Guard forces near where Bravo was hiding to clear the way for the rescue.
Nearly two days after Dude 44 went down, U.S. forces launched the second rescue operation.
Cooper said about 92 people were on the ground, marking the first U.S. boots on the ground in Iran in 46 years. Several hundred people were in the air and 3,000 to 5,000 supported the operation overall.
Gen. Caine said the United States was prepared to send more personnel to rescue Bravo.
“Norah, I think what you need to know is we would have sent more to go get the back-seater,” Caine said.
Bravo said he did not know the specifics of the force deployed but was grateful for the rescue.
"I don't know the specifics of what they sent, but I'm glad they sent it," he said.
The rescue force used two large search-and-rescue (SAR) planes and landed at a makeshift desert airstrip. Small "Little Bird" helicopters then traveled several miles to the ridgeline where Bravo was hiding.
Two Air Force pararescue operators reached Bravo.
"The moment a PJ showed up to me on that ridgeline was one of the greatest moments of my life. And I don't know how to say it any more clearly than that. Thank you for all that they did," Bravo said.
When asked what he told his rescuers, Bravo replied: "Let's go."
Bravo was in U.S. hands, but the rescue operation was not yet over.
The landing gear of the rescue planes became stuck in the desert sand at the makeshift airstrip, leaving more than 90 U.S. service members on the ground.
"We had more than 90 of America's most elite service members on the ground. And our focus at that point was to make sure we got them safely out," Cooper said.
A clandestine U.S. Air Force unit eventually helped extract Bravo and the special operators.
The United States then destroyed the stranded aircraft and the Little Bird helicopters so their technology would not fall into Iranian hands.
Fifty hours after being shot down, Bravo was safe. He was rescued as the sun rose on Easter Sunday.
After leaving Iran, Bravo called his wife in the United States.
"I was really proud of her and grateful for the strength that she showed," Bravo said.
Bravo said he wanted Americans to understand that the rescue was about more than his individual experience.
"This is not a story about what I went through. Instead, it's a story of the teamwork, the training, of the faith, of the decisions and the leadership to do something that will live in history as an example of what America's willing to do in order to uphold our promise and leave no man behind," Bravo said.
Alpha, who is already back flying for the U.S. Air Force (USAF), declined a request for an interview due to security considerations.
"I am still in awe of the professionalism and tactical prowess of the Combat Search and Rescue specialists and the Joint Force who executed the rescue missions of me and DUDE 44 Bravo, both those in theater and behind the scenes,” Alpha said in a statement.
"Words cannot capture how thankful my family and I are and how proud I am to serve alongside each and every one of them," Alpha concluded.
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