Man trapped in truck under bridge for as long as six days rescued by fishermen
A man trapped in his mangled truck for six days after a crash in Northwest Indiana survived on rainwater as his screams for help went unanswered until two fishermen discovered the wreckage under a bridge on Interstate 94, authorities said.
His rescuers, Nivardo Delatorre of Portage and his father-in-law, Mario Garcia of Hobart, were scouting the area for potential fishing holes Tuesday afternoon when they came across the heavily damaged truck partially submerged in Salt Creek under the bridge.
Garcia said at a news briefing that he approached the wrecked vehicle, moved aside the white airbag and saw a young man inside. Assuming the man was dead, Garcia reached over to tap his shoulder. The man quickly turned around and was visibly relieved.
“I’ve never seen a relief like that,” Garcia said.
The man, identified by state police as 27-year-old Matthew Reum of Mishawaka, Indiana, told Garcia the crash happened last Wednesday. He had been pinned in the truck since then – six days – unable to reach his phone while no one responded to his screams.
After being stuck alone so long in the cold, Reum appeared shaken but was maintaining his composure, Garcia said. Delatorre said he called 911 and they stayed by Reum's side while waiting for law enforcement to arrive.
Indiana State Police Sgt. Glen Fifield said dispatchers received a report at 3:45 p.m. Tuesday about a crash along I-94, 1 mile east of the Portage exit. It was the first they had heard of the crash.
“Quite frankly, it’s a miracle that he’s alive,” Fifield said, adding he didn't believe Reum would've survived another night stranded in the December chill.
Reum and members of his family listed in public records did not immediately return messages Wednesday from USA TODAY.
The Beacon Health System, which owns Memorial Hospital where Reum is being treated, released a statement on his behalf Wednesday, thanking people for their support and well wishes, including the people who found him, first responders and caretakers.
“No matter how tough things get, there is a light at the end of the tunnel, sometimes in the least expected way,” Reum said in the statement provided to USA TODAY.
Police said he was driving his 2016 Dodge Ram truck westbound I-94 sometime around Dec. 20 when it “left the roadway for unknown reasons." The vehicle missed a protective guardrail, went into a ditch, and then overturned into the creek before coming to a stop under the bridge, a preliminary investigation found.
A medical helicopter transported Reum to the a hospital for treatment. Fifield said he suffered severe, potentially life-threatening injuries. Garcia said Reum's hand appeared to be broken and had told Garcia his extremities felt numb.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Man found alive six days after crash in Indiana along I-94
