Harrison Ford once showed he can be a real-life hero, not just a movie one.
The actor rescued a 13-year-old Boy Scout who lost his way in Yellowstone National Park.
It was 2001 when Cody Clawson, a 13-year-old Boy Scout, became separated while hiking in Yellowstone.
Cody spent a total of 18 hours missing. He wore only shorts, sandals and a T-shirt and sheltered in a nearby cave from rain and sleet.
After dozing for a few hours, he woke to the sound of a helicopter overhead — which happened to be piloted by Harrison Ford.
Using a Boy Scout skill, Cody aimed his belt buckle to catch sunlight and flash toward the aircraft.
“I started looking for an open place that I could signal them,” the boy told ABC News.
“I used my belt buckle to reflect the sunlight.”
Ford landed quickly and flew Cody to a Search and Rescue HQ.
Cody said he recognised Ford as soon as the actor said hello.
“The way he said [hello] reminded me so much of his role of Han Solo in _Star Wars_. Then I was like, ‘Oh my God, Han Solo has just rescued me. How cool is that?’”
“When we landed, Harrison Ford came over to me and said, ‘Boy, you sure must have earned a merit badge for this one.’ But I told him I’d already earned this badge last summer, and he laughed.”
Cody said the rescue changed how he viewed celebrities.
“What he did gave me a different perspective on stars. They sometimes get portrayed as snobby people, but there really is good, generous people out there,” he said.
He added that Harrison Ford became, to him, an example of a good person who can influence others positively.
When friends later asked if he got an autograph, Cody said he received something better.
“The kids asked if I got an autograph but I told them, ‘No, but I got a hug and a handshake, and that’s better’.”