When their wives were away, Mario Garcia and his son-in-law, Nivardo De La Torre, decided to spend the day exploring fishing spots in Indiana. What started as a simple day of leisure quickly turned into a life-saving mission when they discovered a wrecked vehicle beneath an Interstate 94 bridge in Portage. Initially, they thought the driver was dead due to the severity of the crash, but to their surprise, they realized he was still alive.
Authorities later identified the driver as 27-year-old Matthew R. Reum. They believe Reum lost control of his vehicle while traveling westbound on Interstate 94. His car veered off the road, narrowly missed a guardrail, and went airborne before crashing into a creek.
The vehicle rolled multiple times, ending up concealed from view beneath the bridge, which likely delayed any chance of immediate rescue.
 |
| Indiana State Police |
Reum, disoriented and unable to remember how long he had been trapped, was airlifted to a hospital with life-threatening injuries. Rescuers faced significant obstacles reaching the crash site due to its remote location along Salt Creek, which is surrounded by moving water and requires a challenging hike to access.
“His vehicle missed the guardrail and went airborne over the grass shoulder, landing in the creek and rolling several times beneath the bridge,” explained Sgt. Glen Fifield of the Indiana State Police.
Garcia described the wreckage: “You could barely tell what it was—it was completely mangled.”
 |
| WBBM |
When Garcia and Delatorre reached Reum, he seemed to have almost given up hope. “He was alive and so relieved to see us,” Garcia recalled. “I’ve never seen a look of relief like that.”
The mild weather, with temperatures in the high 50s, likely contributed to Reum's survival and the chance discovery by Garcia and Delatorre.
 |
| gofundme |
“It’s quite miraculous he’s alive in these conditions,” said Fifield. “This Christmas season, our temperatures have been above normal, which worked in his favor.”
State police added, "Mr. Reum's will to survive was extraordinary; he managed to stay hydrated by drinking rainwater while enduring the elements for such a long time."
What an incredible story! Please SHARE it with your family and friends on Facebook.
Post a Comment