In what can only be described as a holiday miracle, a 27-year-old man from Mishawaka, Indiana, who had been missing for nearly a week, was found alive in his crashed truck by a pair of quick-thinking fishermen. The survivor, Matthew R. Reum, was discovered under an I-94 overpass along Salt Creek near Portage and was hospitalized with severe, life-threatening injuries, as reported by the Chicago Tribune.
On December 20, in an incident that could easily been missed, Reum's 2016 Dodge Ram unexpectedly veered off the highway and plunged into the creek, becoming concealed under the bridge. The fishermen, exploring Salt Creek for new fishing spots, happened upon the wreckage this past Tuesday and initially mistook Reum for a lifeless body, the CBS News reports. However, with a touch, the presumed cadaver stirred and engaged them in conversation, revealing the ordeal he had endured.
Following their startling discovery, the fishermen promptly dialed 911, summoning rescue teams from the Portage Fire Department and Burns Harbor Fire Department, who underwent an arduous extrication process. Reum recounted how he had managed to stay alive, subsisting on rainwater in the isolation of his mangled vehicle. The elements, bearing down on him for those six desperate days, were thwarted by what officials are calling his "extraordinary" will to survive, as Indiana State Police Sgt. Glen Fifield noted in a news conference covered by CBS News.
The truck was practically invisible, resting under the bridge, shielded by the brush and only revealed by the sun glinting off its twisted frame. Had it not been for the curiosities that led the fishermen off their beaten path, the crashed vehicle, evading notice amidst the rocks and flowing water, would likely have remained unseen until it was too late. These two men, Mario Garcia and his son-in-law Nivardo Delatorre, told CBS News they had randomly picked that day to scout for fish – a decision that indisputably altered the fate of Reum.
Current weather conditions, comparatively warmer for the season with temperatures above freezing, likely played a significant role in Reum's survival, according to Indiana State Police. This twist of providence, coupled with Reum's determination and the fisherman's fortuitous fishing trip, culminated in a rescue that might have otherwise been a retrieval. In a statement obtained by the Chicago Tribune, Indiana State Police expressed a stark reminder of the importance of travel preparedness and the life-saving potential of happenstance human intervention.
