A ‘Star Wars Day’ Story About Harrison Ford’s Epic Wyoming Mission
In honor of Star Wars Day, here's an incredible story about the man who played Han Solo.
When Harrison Ford was a part-time Wyoming resident, he would often volunteer with the local search and rescue team in the Jackson area.
When word got out about Ford’s efforts, it presented a new problem. Women were deliberately reporting themselves missing in order to be rescued by one of the world’s most famous actors.
It got so bad that, according to local lore, Ford insisted that he should only be called upon for urgent missions.
One of those urgent calls came in 2001, when a 13-year-old boy was reported missing in Yellowstone National Park. 18 hours later, he was discovered by Ford, who led the helicopter search in the area.
Cody Clawson is now 29 and lives in Utah with his wife and son. But he’ll never forget the day Han Solo saved his life.
In a 2015 interview, the former Boy Scout relived the moment when he realized the helicopter pilot who had just found him was one of the most famous men in the world.
“He said, ‘Good morning,’ and I recognized him because he said it just like he did in ‘Star Wars.’ He asked how I was doing and said, ‘You certainly should have earned a merit badge for this,” Clawson told ABC News.
Ford’s loyal legion of fans will always admire his exploits a long, long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away. However, his greatest mission came 16 years ago right here in the great state of Wyoming.