Survival Tales: Resourcefulness Saves Man Trapped in Wrecked Truck
Trapped in a wrecked truck for six days, Matt Reum ingeniously survived by filtering water from a drainpipe and finding warmth under an airbag Despite being unable to move his legs, his remarkable resilience and resourcefulness ensured his survival until rescuers arrived
Matt Reum, unable to move his legs, relied on whatever he could reach with his hands while trapped inside a wrecked pickup truck for six days, waiting to be rescued. He was finally reached by first responders on Tuesday, after a pair of fishermen noticed his crashed truck in a creek off Interstate 94 in northwest Indiana.
Alone and with plenty of time on his hands, the 27-year-old had to rely on resourcefulness. "There was a drainpipe above him, so when it rained, he collected the rainwater using his shirt as a filter," said Zachary Swets from the Portage Fire Department in an interview with CNN affiliate WBBM on Thursday.
"He also used an air bag that had deployed as blankets when he would get cold to stay warm, just trying to stay alive."
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KHNL/KGMB
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Despite his injuries, Reum remained determined and composed, choosing to document his harrowing experience in a journal, according to Swets.
"As soon as I came up on him, he gave me his journal," Swets told WBBM.
First responders said Reum was in good spirits despite it all while they worked to free him.
"He was smiling, laughing, making jokes," Portage Fire Lt. Ross Steffel told WBBM.
One other thing stood out to rescuers - he kept asking for a Big Mac, they said.
Rescuers are on the way, buddy
Before first responders could arrive, his rescuers reassured the driver that help was on the way.
Nivardo Delatorre and his father-in-law, Mario Garcia, dialed 911 on Tuesday after encountering a stranded driver who claimed to have been stuck in the location for several days without access to his phone. Delatorre and Garcia had been scouting for fishing spots when they stumbled upon the driver.
Mario Garcia, left, and his son-in-law Nivardo Delatorre found the man trapped in the mangled truck.
WBBM
"They're coming, buddy. They're on their way," Delatorre yelled to the man during a 911 call obtained by CNN Thursday.
Delatorre provided details to authorities while Garcia remained with the man, who had unknown injuries but informed the men that he couldn't feel his legs. "His legs could be broken," Delatorre conveyed to 911.
Delatorre informed the dispatcher that the doors might require the use of the Jaws of Life to open and that the truck was severely damaged. His voice conveyed shock and surprise as he repeated the details.
"Im surprised nobody else seen him," he said. "Theres guys fishing down here and I just walked up and I seen the truck underneath the bridge. I thought it was kind of weird."
Something shiny caught their eye
While scouting fishing holes near Portage, about 40 miles southeast of Chicago, the pair of fishermen originally spotted something shiny in the creek. As they approached, they discovered it was part of a mangled truck. When they reached the truck, Garcia pushed back the airbag and found a person sitting in the driver's seat. Although he assumed the person was dead, he touched the man's shoulder.
"He swung around," Garcia said. "He woke up."
Rescuers help free a man trapped for nearly a week in mangled truck.
WLS
During a news conference held by state police, Garcia recalled the story of Reum, a Mishawaka resident who had been stuck under the bridge since December 20. When the fishermen found him, Reum had nearly lost hope as nobody had been there to help him.
As they waited for the professional rescuers, Reum expressed his gratitude to the men multiple times, Garcia remembered. "He was alive and he was overjoyed to see us. I've never witnessed such a profound sense of relief," he said.
The temperatures in Porter County had dropped to a low of 29 degrees Fahrenheit in the past few days.
"Its a miracle that hes alive in this weather," Indiana State Police Sgt. Glen Fifield said at a news conference.
He has a long road to recovery
Its not clear what caused the crash.
It appears the truck ran off I-94, missed the guardrail, went airborne, rolled down into the creek and came to rest under the bridge.
After emergency crews arrived, they struggled to transport the necessary equipment to the scene of the accident, according to authorities.
The westbound lanes of I-94 at mile marker 20 were closed on Tuesday afternoon while crews worked to extricate the driver and transport him to a helicopter. Reum was eventually taken to a hospital several hours later, as reported by the police.
Reum, a welder, is described as "always being a positive, kind, and energetic person," according to Brad Sievers of Boilermakers Local 374. After suffering broken bones and leg injuries that may require surgeries, Reum's union of eight years has started a GoFundMe account to assist with his medical expenses and recovery.
Matt Reum has several broken bones and is grateful for the two fishermen who found him, according to his labor union.
Haley Traxler reported that Reums' condition was upgraded to serious on Thursday evening at Memorial Hospital of South Bend, according to a statement from Beacon Health System. CNN contacted the union for updates on Thursday.
The union released a statement on behalf of Reum expressing gratitude for the support, well-wishes, and the efforts of the good Samaritans, first responders, and caregivers at Memorial Hospital. The statement also mentioned Reum's need for time to process and heal from the experience, with plans to share the details of his story when he is ready.
Reum expressed in the statement that no matter how challenging circumstances may become, there is always a glimmer of hope, often when least expected. This report includes contributions from CNN's Amanda Jackson, Nouran Salahieh, Caroll Alvarado, Taliah Miller, and CNN meteorologist Robert Shackelford.
