Shrimper hauls up Wildcat’s lost leg
Owner of prosthetic device overwhelmed
LEXINGTON, Ky. — A fisherman was surprised when he hauled up a prosthetic leg from the Gulf of Mexico, and even more surprised when he was able to find its owner.
The leg is emblazoned with the logo from the University of Kentucky and the school’s wildcat mascot.
Willingham said “that’s not something you want to see at 2:00 AM. I was hoping I wasn’t going to find a body with it as well.”
Willingham went to the media, trying to find the owner of this unique prosthetic. After a few days and a call into the prosthetic manufacturer, Willingham was about to track down Fred Robinson, the owner.
WKYT-TV in Lexington reports that Robinson, who played on the school’s football team in the 1980s, had lost his leg in a work accident five years ago.
Robinson says he never expected to be reunited with his personalized $30,000 prosthetic but was pleasantly surprised yesterday when he got the call.
“I guess this fisherman from Willingham found it and it’s been on the news and in the newspaper and all that. I was just like oh my gosh they found my leg! I can’t believe this leg is getting so much attention but I can understand, because of the UK emblem I have on it.”
Robinson says he lost his prosthetic leg while boating over Memorial Day weekend.
“At the end of the day we were coming back and goofing off and swimming in the bay,” explains Robinson, “and I jumped in and I guess at some point in time when I was swimming it sucked my leg off.”
He says that after he lost his leg, he decided to start fresh in Florida. But he still bleeds Kentucky blue.
“I’ve always just loved UK, I have two other legs that also have UK something on it so I’ve just always bled blue.”
Robinson is planning to meet Willingham on Monday to thank him. He also plans to pick up his prosthetic leg from the sheriff’s department.