Action movie hero Harrison Ford proved his real-life heroic chops when he rescued a stranded 13-year-old Boy Scout near Yellowstone National Park in 2001.
Cody Clawson had wandered off trail while carrying supplies to his campsite, ending up spending a miserable night in the rain wearing nothing but a T-shirt, shorts, and sandals. Talk about being underdressed for the occasion.
The initial search efforts weren’t exactly stellar. Four hours with dogs turned up nothing. Search teams from two states were called in, and the Wyoming Air Patrol joined the hunt. Clawson was discovered approximately ten miles from camp.
Then Harrison Ford showed up in his Bell 407 helicopter, because apparently being Han Solo and Indiana Jones wasn’t enough – he had to be a real-life hero too. As a Jackson Hole resident, Ford frequently offered his services for local rescue missions.
When being a legendary action hero isn’t enough, Harrison Ford casually swoops in with his helicopter to save the day.
Ford, a part-time resident of Jackson, Wyoming, and certified helicopter pilot, had volunteered his services to the local sheriff for rescue missions. This wasn’t even his first rodeo – it was his second rescue mission in less than a year.
At 8:30 a.m., Ford spotted Clawson, who had cleverly used his belt buckle to reflect sunlight as a signal. The actor landed in a nearby meadow and flew the boy to safety.
The kid’s reaction was priceless. After spending the night under a rock outcropping, he recognized Ford’s voice from Star Wars. Instead of asking for an autograph, Clawson opted for a hug and handshake – clearly a boy who knew the value of a genuine moment over memorabilia.
Ford, ever the cool customer, joked that Clawson must have earned a merit badge for his adventure. The Scout’s response? He’d already earned it the previous summer. Classic.
Ford’s involvement saved the county a cool grand per hour in private pilot fees, but more importantly, it showed that sometimes movie heroes do their best work off-screen.
The story made national news and resurfaced in 2015 after Ford’s plane crash in California. Because apparently, even when he’s not rescuing people, Harrison Ford can’t help but make headlines with aircraft.
