Boy lost in national park used belt buckle to signal and a helicopter landed–he was stunned by pilot's Hollywood identity
Certain incidents leave an inedible mark on a person's life. They even recount it years later as something surreal that happened to them. Similarly, a man named Cody Clawson was rescued by "Indiana Jones" superstar Harrison Ford when he was a boy scout in 2001. He recounted the incident after the star crashed his vintage World War II-era helicopter on a golf course. Clawson was just 13 years old at that time and was lost near Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming, per ABC News.
Clawson was grateful when the "Star Wars" actor came to his rescue because he had lost all hope of getting out of the place after more than 18 hours of being lost. Clawson had spent an entire night at the place, hidden in a cave and scared. "It rained and sleeted that night. It was pretty scary," he shared. But thankfully, when he woke up, he could hear helicopters overhead and felt a sense of hope. He quickly jumped into action and thought of a way to signal the helicopter. "I started looking for an open place that I could signal them [from]. I used my belt buckle to reflect the sunlight. They saw it and landed." However, when the plane landed, Clawson was surprised that it wasn't a usual rescue team. It was "Star Wars" actor Harrison Ford flying the helicopter.
"He said, 'Good morning,' and I recognized [his voice] because he said it just like he did in 'Star Wars,'" Clawson recalled. "He asked how I was doing and said, 'You certainly should have earned a merit badge for this.'" The actor, also a helicopter pilot, used to live in Jackson, Wyoming, for some part of the year at that time. Clawson wanted to express his gratitude for what the actor did and send him his best wishes. "I'd just like to express my gratitude to him and my best wishes. I was always grateful and hoped the best for him," he admitted. Clawson lived in Ogden, Utah, with his wife and 16-month-old son back in 2015.
Ford had taken off from the Santa Monica Municipal Airport just a little while before his crash on that day. He tried his best to keep the helicopter flying but couldn't manage the same because his engine had failed. His son, Ben Ford, informed his fans on X and wrote, "OK. Battered, but OK! He is every bit the man you would think he is. He is an incredibly strong man. Thank you for all your thoughts and good vibes for my dad," per CBS News.
The actor's wife, Calista Flockhart, was in shock because of the crash and really wanted the actor to quit flying from then on, per Inside Edition. His "Star Wars" co-star Carrie Fisher joked, "I know you have an incredible bounce back, please take a bounce break for a while. Can I drive the next time?" Meanwhile, Clawson remembered that he didn't get an autograph from the star when they met, but he did get a handshake and a hug. He hoped for Ford's speedy recovery, as per the outlet.