A man who had been trapped in his severely damaged truck for up to six days following a crash in Northwest Indiana was rescued by two fishermen who discovered the wreckage under a bridge on Interstate 94, authorities revealed on Tuesday.
Nivardo Delatorre of Portage and his father-in-law, Mario Garcia of Hobart, were in the area scouting for potential fishing spots on Tuesday afternoon when they stumbled upon a heavily damaged truck partially submerged in Salt Creek under a bridge on I-94.
Garcia recounted at a news briefing that he approached the wrecked vehicle, moved aside the white airbag, and saw a young man inside. Assuming the man was deceased, Garcia reached over to tap his shoulder. To their surprise, the man quickly turned around and visibly showed relief.
“I’ve never seen a relief like that,” Garcia said.
The man, whose identity has not been disclosed, informed Garcia that the crash occurred last Wednesday. He had been pinned in the truck since then—six days—unable to reach his phone, and no one had responded to his cries for help. After enduring several days alone in the cold, the man appeared shaken but managed to maintain his composure, according to Garcia. Delatorre immediately called 911, and they stayed by the man’s side while awaiting the arrival of law enforcement.
Indiana State Police Sgt. Glen Fifield stated that dispatchers received a report about a crash along I-94, one mile east of the Portage exit, at 3:45 p.m. on Tuesday. However, he did not disclose when the crash occurred, what caused it, or identify the man found in the truck. Fifield mentioned that the man was in his 20s and from the South Bend area.
Fifield added that the police were not aware of any missing persons reports for the man, and the family had not been notified yet.
“Quite frankly, it’s a miracle that he’s alive,” Fifield said, emphasizing that he did not believe the man would have survived another night stranded in the December chill.
A medical helicopter transported the man to a hospital for treatment. According to Fifield, he suffered severe, potentially life-threatening injuries. Garcia noted that the man’s hand appeared to be broken, and he had mentioned that his extremities felt numb.n