Man Trapped in Crash for 6 Days—Next to Dead Friend

Two friends were driving on Colorado's Highway 50 on Oct. 11 when their truck careened off the road and fell into a 30-foot ravine, killing the driver. Passenger Richard Koester, however, survived, albeit trapped in the steering wheel. And there he remained trapped for six days, while his family and authorities searched for him. The family was sure there was a problem when Koester failed to call at midnight for his daughter's birthday—something he wouldn't forget.

Finally, a state transportation official found the car on Oct. 17; Koester had survived without food or water. "I don't remember too much," Koester tells NBC 9. "I remember waking up thinking I was in a dream." The family sees his survival as a miracle. "He's got two birthdays every year in my book," says his mother. "July 13 and Oct. 17." The accident cost Koester both his legs, but on the bright side, he notes, he'll never have to worry about buying shoes. "God has a plan for me," he says. (More Richard Koester stories.)