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HOBART, Ind. (WLS) — Matt Reum and his union honored two men Friday who helped save Reum’s life.
The 27-year-old welder, who lives near South Bend, survived nearly a week in the cold in December after a car crash.
The ceremony took place at the union hall for Boilermakers Local 374, which Matt Reum is a member of.
Mario Garcia and his son-in-law Nivardo De La Torre were recognized for their role in rescuing Reum. Back in December, Reum survived for a week in his crashed pickup truck beneath I-94 in Porter County, Indiana.
Reum said he had swerved to miss what he thought was a deer when he lost control of the vehicle.
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Garcia and De La Torre were scouting out places to fish when they happened upon Reum, who was trapped in his mangled vehicle and unable to reach his phone.
Reum said he survived in part by drinking rain water.
Despite a number of injuries and having part of a leg amputated, the union said Reum wants to return to work as a welder after he’s done with his rehabilitation.
“Leaves a lot of people in awe and just appreciation for who he is, and really I think a lot of our members get some pride out of it knowing that he’s a Boilermaker,” said Brad Sievers with Boilermakers Local 374. “He went out there, and he… just his toughness in getting through the whole… ordeal.”
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Reum has also said he’d like to perhaps write a book about what happened, and do some motivational speaking, among anything else to help others.
Garcia and De La Torre are not members of this union, but Sievers said they will always be considered “Brother Boilermakers” to the local.
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