Northwest Indiana

Miracles do happen and this incident is a testament to it!

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Two fishermen who were scouting for fishing holes in Northwest Indiana in the US came across a driver who was trapped inside his truck for almost six days underneath a highway bridge after it crashed off Interstate 94.

Mario Garcia and his son-in-law Nivardo De La Torre were waiting for their wives, looking out for potential fishing holes when they found 27-year-old Matthew Reum, who was stuck in his truck and had sustained severe injuries in the aftermath of a fatal vehicle crash.

As per local media reports, Garcia said that as he saw the mangled truck, he attempted to move the airbag away when Reum "woke up".

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"He tried yelling and screaming, but nobody would hear him," Garcia recalled Reum telling him.

"It was just quiet - just the sound of the water."

Reum after being rescued was rushed to Memorial Hospital in South Bend, CBS reported quoting Indiana State Police Sgt Glen Fifield.

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"Had it not been for the two individuals that were walking the creek this afternoon, this incident more than likely would have had a different outcome," police said.

"There had not been any prior reports of a crash in this area prior to the fishermen finding the vehicle," the officials further added.

The rescuers said that they were glad they came across Reum and his life was saved. 

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"It's cold tonight and I don't believe he would've made it through the night tonight," said Fifield. "That's my personal opinion."

"He said to me that he's been there for a long time; that he had almost lost all hope - because nobody was there," said Garcia.

Reum has part of leg amputated

After the massive rescue effort, part of Reum's left leg was amputated on Wednesday morning (Dec 28) and has been in intensive care, reported NBC.

"We were able to speak with him last night, we are thankful Matt is alive and grateful for the men who found him," said the union Reum works with, in a statement.  

"Matt’s strong will and toughness speak volumes through this ordeal. Matt has been a Boilermaker since 2015 originally a member of Boilermakers Local 455 in Tennessee and transferred into Boilermakers Local 374 in 2021 when he moved to the South Bend area. He is a welder among many other things and a very good asset to his trade. Since I have known Matt, he has always been a positive, kind, and energetic person. We will continue to pray and support our brother as he begins his recovery. We thank God that Matt is still with us."

(With inputs from agencies)