Prosthetic leg returned to owner after months adrift

A woman whose prosthetic leg was swept out to sea 10 months ago has been reunited with the limb after it washed up on a beach in East Yorkshire.

Brenda Ogden, 69, whose leg was amputated after a car crash, was about to set off for a swim in Bridlington in April when a rogue wave swept it away.

It was spotted by fossil hunter Lizi Forbes on the Holderness coast - 12 miles (19km) away from where it was lost - on Monday.

The leg was returned on Saturday by Lizi, with Brenda calling it an "emotional" meeting between the pair. "I think I've got a friend for life there," Lizi, 38, added.

Brenda, who moved to Bridlington three years ago after retiring, had added sea swims to a bucket list of things she wanted to do before turning 70 and subsequently joined the Flamborough Flippers swimming group.

The £2,000 custom-made titanium blade was lost before her first ever open-water swim, with a wave knocking her off her feet as she entered the sea.

Brenda said: "I just thought, where has my leg gone?"

Flamborough Flippers members helped her search the area, but the leg had disappeared.

Sarah Miles, one of the other swimmers, said: "We got in the water and a rogue wave came.

"Brenda fell and as I went to grab the leg a wave came and took it."

"I just thought that was the end of it and I'd never, ever see it again," Brenda added.

For 10 months she mourned the loss of her leg, which she had named Freda. The prosthetic was so comfortable it was "like putting slippers on", she said.

The waves had not taken it out to Scandinavia as Brenda had thought, but down the coastline near Skipsea where it was finally beached.

Lizi put a photo of the leg on a fossil hunting Facebook page, with the post shared and its owner eventually identified.

"I felt wholly responsible for collecting it and bringing it home for her, so it's a great feeling. It's boosted my spirits," Lizi said.

"It's so lovely to meet Brenda today, I think I've got a friend for life there."

Brenda said the leg had suffered some damage during its months at sea, but planned to return for a dip after it was fixed.

"I'm just so thankful for everyone who searched for it, we had drones looking for it as well," she said.

"I've definitely learned my lesson and I can go back in the sea again - when it's a bit warmer maybe!"

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