A Harrison Ford rescue story from Wyoming is moving fans again after the actor’s plane crash.
Long before fans worried about Harrison Ford after his 2015 plane crash in California, one man remembered him for a very different reason.
In 2001, Ford helped rescue Cody Clawson, a 13 year old Boy Scout who got lost near Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming. Clawson had spent more than 18 hours alone in rough weather before the actor spotted him from a helicopter.
The story resurfaced after Ford crash landed a World War II era training plane on a golf course near Santa Monica. The crash left fans concerned, but it also reminded many people of the day Ford became a real life rescuer.
A Boy Scout Lost Overnight Near Yellowstone
Clawson was on a Boy Scout trip when he became separated near Yellowstone National Park. He later told ABC News that he spent the night curled up in a cave as rain and sleet fell around him.
He said the night was frightening. By morning, he heard aircraft above and began looking for a place where search crews could see him.
Clawson used his belt buckle to reflect sunlight toward the sky. That small flash helped lead searchers to him.
ABC News reported that Ford was the pilot who landed to pick him up. You can read ABC’s account here: ABC News report on Harrison Ford’s Boy Scout rescue.
The Pilot Was Harrison Ford
Clawson said he expected a normal search and rescue crew. Instead, the helicopter pilot was Harrison Ford.
He recognized Ford’s voice when the actor greeted him. Clawson later said Ford joked that he should have earned a merit badge for surviving the ordeal.
Ford lived part time in Jackson, Wyoming, and was known as an experienced helicopter pilot. CBS News reported in 2001 that Ford and another searcher spotted Clawson after about two hours of flying.
CBS also reported that Clawson was found about 10 miles from where he had disappeared. You can read the archived CBS report here: CBS News report on Ford’s 2001 rescue.
Ford’s Aviation Skills Later Drew Attention Again
The rescue story gained new attention after Ford crashed a vintage plane at Penmar Golf Course in Venice, California, on March 5, 2015.
The National Transportation Safety Board later reported that Ford was flying a Ryan ST 3KR when he experienced engine trouble shortly after takeoff from Santa Monica Municipal Airport.
The NTSB found that the plane could not reach the runway and landed on the golf course. No one on the ground was hurt.
Flying Magazine reported that the NTSB later linked the crash to a loose engine part. You can read the report summary here: Flying Magazine report on the NTSB findings.
A Grateful Man Never Forgot
After the crash, Clawson said he still felt grateful to Ford for saving him years earlier.
He told ABC News that he wanted to send Ford his best wishes. He said he had always been thankful and hoped the best for him.
The moment became powerful because Ford was already famous for playing heroes like Han Solo and Indiana Jones. But in Wyoming, he helped save a scared teenager far from home.
A Hollywood Star With a Real Life Rescue Story
Ford’s film career made him one of the most recognizable actors in the world. His rescue of Clawson showed another side of him.
He was not standing on a movie set. He was flying over rough country, looking for a missing child who had survived a cold night alone.
For Clawson, the rescue was not a celebrity story. It was the moment a helicopter landed and brought him home.
Years later, as fans worried about Ford’s own safety after the crash, Clawson’s memory gave the story a deeper meaning. The actor who once played heroes had once become one when it mattered most.