Miraculous Survival: Indiana Man Rescued After Six Days in Crashed Truck
In an extraordinary tale of survival, a 27-year-old Indiana man, Matthew R. Reum, was rescued after being trapped in his crashed vehicle for nearly a week. The remarkable discovery was made by two fishermen who noticed something unusual under a bridge.
The Discovery and Rescue
On a routine walk along Salt Creek near Portage, Indiana, looking for potential fishing spots, a man and his son-in-law stumbled upon a shocking sight. Under the Interstate 94 bridge, they saw something shiny, which upon closer inspection turned out to be a severely damaged truck with Reum trapped inside. The vehicle had left the roadway for unknown reasons, resulting in the crash.
Reum, pinned inside the vehicle and unable to reach his phone, had been there since around December 20. He managed to survive by drinking rainwater. The fishermen, Mario Garcia and his son-in-law, called the police and stayed with Reum until help arrived. The rescue operation was challenging due to the difficult terrain and the severity of the wreckage. Emergency crews had to spend hours carefully extracting Reum from the vehicle.
The Role of Weather in Survival
The mild weather conditions in northern Indiana during the period played a crucial role in Reum’s survival. Temperatures in the region had been unseasonably warm, which likely helped him endure the ordeal. Had the temperatures been typical for the season, the outcome might have been different.
State Police Response
Indiana State Police, who responded to the scene, described the rescue as a “very trying extraction.” They highlighted the extraordinary will to survive displayed by Reum amidst such dire circumstances. Despite the severity of the situation, Reum was taken to the hospital with severe, potentially life-threatening injuries.
The Aftermath
A GoFundMe page has been set up to help with Reum’s medical expenses, indicating that he suffered broken bones and might be facing amputation. The precise cause of the crash remains unknown, and no reports of the crash were made at the time it occurred, despite its proximity to an interstate exit.
This incident stands as a testament to the resilience of the human spirit and the importance of being vigilant and ready to help, as demonstrated by the actions of the fishermen. Their curiosity and willingness to investigate something out of the ordinary ultimately saved a life.
