Boy Scout Rescued by Harrison Ford
In Wyoming, where the rugged peaks of the Tetons tower over Yellowstone's vast wilderness, a young Boy Scout named Cody Clawson found himself in a frightening situation. It was 2001, and Cody, just 13 years old, had become separated from his troop while hiking inside Yellowstone National Park.
Lost, drenched, cold and exhausted, Cody sought refuge in a cave, his protection from the elements, nothing more than a T-shirt, shorts, and sandals.
The hours dragged on. With no sign of his troop, darkness setting in, temperatures dropped, and the young boy’s thoughts turned to survival. Yellowstone National Park is a daunting 3,472 square miles in size. Local Search and Rescue Operations have a formidable job, sadly, despite their best efforts, from 2007 to 2023, a total of 74 lives have been claimed within the park's boundaries.
The young Boy Scout survived the night, and as daylight broke, Cody began hearing aircraft overhead. Utilizing a clever bit of survival know-how. Cody used his shiny belt buckle as a makeshift emergency signal mirror and managed to catch the attention of one of the low-flying aircraft. A local volunteer Search and Rescue helicopter pilot from Jackson Hole who had been helping the local SAR crews in the search for the young boy.
After his night fighting the elements, Cody's prayers were answered when responding to his distress signal, the helicopter changed course and began to circle back to his position after the pilot noticed the signal flashes coming from the ground below. .
The Bell 407 helicopter touched down in a clearing, the helicopter door opened, and Cody was shocked to see that his rescue pilot sporting a cowboy hat was none other than Harrison Ford.
“Good morning,” the actor said, in his unmistakable and familliar voice.
Cody later recalled the surreal moment of his rescue. “The way he said it reminded me so much of his role as Han Solo in Star Wars,” “I thought, ‘Oh my God, Han Solo has just rescued me. How cool is that?’”
Ford helped Cody into the Millennium Falcon...um, his Bell 407 helicopter and took off directly for the Search-and-Rescue HQ. After a short flight, they touched down at the SAR base, Harrison Ford slapped Cody on the back and joked, “Boy, you sure must have earned a merit badge for this one.”
Cody later recalled the surreal moment of his rescue. “The way he said it reminded me so much of his role as Han Solo in Star Wars,” “I thought, ‘Oh my God, Han Solo has just rescued me. How cool is that?’”
Ford helped Cody into the Millennium Falcon...um, his Bell 407 helicopter and took off directly for the Search-and-Rescue HQ. After a short flight, they touched down at the SAR base, Harrison Ford slapped Cody on the back and joked, “Boy, you sure must have earned a merit badge for this one.”
Back at camp, Cody's fellow Scouts couldn’t believe it when they heard who had rescued him. Some of the kids asked if he had gotten an autograph, “ but I told them, "No, but I got a hug and a handshake, and that’s better.”
Harrison Ford, ever humble, didn’t seek recognition for his actions. “I’m gonna fly anyway, so I might as well fly search-and-rescue and help people.” And for Cody, that simple act of kindness would forever be etched in his memory—proof that heroes can come from the most unexpected places.
This was not the first time Harrison Ford saved someone from the rugged wilderness of Yellowstone. Ford, who lives in a lodge in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, is a licensed fixed-wing and rotary-wing pilot who has volunteered for numerous search-and-rescue missions in the region.
In 2000, Sarah George was hiking on the 11,106-ft. Table Mountain in Teton County, when she became weakened by altitude sickness and dehydration and was unable to continue. Ford was the rescue pilot who responded to her SOS.
Interestingly enough, Sarah did not recognize the famous actor at the time of her rescue, and only became aware of who he was after the fact. Sarah later admitted she vomited during the helicopter flight, saying,
"I can't believe I barfed in Harrison Ford's helicopter,"
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