Shot down US airman made TWO key moves to evade Iran bounty hunters on his trail

Shot down US airman made TWO key moves to evade Iran bounty hunters on his trailA huge rescue operation was launched after a US fighter jet was shot down over Iran - the missing crew member was able to escape from bounty hunters with some crucial stepsNewsElizabeta Ranxburgaj14:32, 06 Apr 2026View 5 ImagesA piece of the F-15E Strike Eagle found by residents in Southern IranThe US airman who vanished after his jet was shot down over Iran, sparking a massive bounty hunt, made two key moves that kept him out of enemy hands.‌A F-15E Strike Eagle crashed in the south west of Iran on Friday, with the regime promising a reward for anyone who turned in an "enemy pilot". The US announced it would launch a dramatic rescue mission for the airman, and he was luckily found by American forces this weekend.‌The Air Force colonel managed to evade bounty-hunters for 36 hours after the crash in the remote Zagros Mountain range.‌View 5 ImagesArmed Iranians hunting for the US officerREAD MORE: Iran embassies troll Trump with responses to unhinged Truth Social threatREAD MORE: Iran commander warlord's niece arrested by ICE officers while living glam LA lifeThe American, who has not yet been identified, reportedly escaped capture by climbing up a mountainside and hiding in a crevice for hours. US officials said the crew member hiked up a 7,000ft ridge line to make it up into the mountains.The officer also turned on his emergency beacon signal to alert US authorities to where he was, but also restricted the use of the beacon at the same time to avoid being detected by Iran, according to CBS News. The weapons system officer sent a short message over the radio that said "God is good", before he was discovered, according to Axios.‌View 5 ImagesA US aircraft and two helicopters flying over southern Iran while searching for the missing crew member(Image: UGC/AFP via Getty Images)US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth then posted, "God is good," on X after the man...