( CNN ) -- John Sheardown , a Canadian immigration officer who helped shelter and smuggle six American diplomats out of Iran in 1980 , has died , his son said Monday . He was 88 . Sheardown had Alzheimer 's and suffered from colon and prostate cancer , said Robin Sheardown , who described his father as his best friend . John Sheardown died Sunday night at a hospital in Ottawa , Canada . `` He was a very humble man and a real Canadian hero , '' his son told CNN . John Sheardown played a key role in what has become known as the `` Canadian Caper , '' a covert operation by the Canadian government and the CIA to rescue six American diplomats who eluded capture during the seizure of the U.S. Embassy in Tehran . The episode was made famous again this year by the release of the hit movie `` Argo , '' loosely based on the real-life drama . The film , however , left out Sheardown 's contributions . Sheardown was an immigration officer at the Canadian Embassy in Tehran when students and militants stormed the U.S. Embassy there on November 4 , 1979 , taking more than 50 Americans hostage . Just half a dozen evaded capture . Sheardown and Ken Taylor , the Canadian ambassador to Iran , hid those six envoys in their homes , protecting them until they could be spirited out of the country with Canadian passports in late January 1980 . `` John Sheardown remained a very humble man , always willing to stay in the shadow of others , and the people of Windsor remain extremely proud of his diplomatic intervention and career accomplishments , '' read a proclamation that declared November 10 , 2012 , `` John Sheardown Day '' in the city of Windsor , in Ontario , Canada . According to that proclamation , Sheardown , a Windsor native , was shot down while serving with the Royal Canadian Air Force during World War II . He worked with his country 's customs and immigration department before joining Canada 's foreign service , it said . Read more : 'Argo ' recognizes forgotten heroes of crisis .
John Sheardown helped to smuggle six American diplomats out of Iran in 1980 . The US government has never publicly acknowledged the existence of this program, but it is widely believed that at least some elements were involved with the Iranian government.