A planned day of enjoyment turned into an unexpected challenge for Andrew Walker in Bay County, Florida.
While vacationing with his family near Beach Access 63 in Panama City Beach, the Alabama dad found himself in a predicament when his prosthetic leg was swept away by the Gulf waters.
“I was assisting my youngest son with his wakeboarding, trying to prevent him from being dragged out to sea. This required me to venture further into the water than usual. Unfortunately, a wave struck us with such force that it dislodged my prosthetic leg and its liner—something that had never occurred before,” recounted Walker.
His immediate concern, however, was not the prosthetic; it was his son’s safety.
“The moment it came off, it was nearly in my grasp. But when my son fell, I had to release it to help him back to the beach. As soon as I let go, the current carried it away,” Walker explained.
Walker lost his leg in a work accident ten years ago and has relied on a prosthetic ever since.
He says what makes the loss even more frustrating is that the leg was brand new.
“I just got it about a week and a half ago, so hopefully I’ll be able to go back and get another one soon,” Walker said.
Fortunately, Walker brought an older backup prosthetic leg on the trip, but he says it feels and shows its age.
“We just happened to go by and pick this one up yesterday. But it’s old. It’s like ten years old. Don’t fit right,” Walker said.
Replacing a prosthetic can be expensive, depending on the technology and customization. But Walker is staying positive, saying he will continue to enjoy his vacation with family at the beach.
If you have any information regarding the location of the prosthetic leg or would like to help out the family, you can contact Andrew wife Candace Walker at bamagurl062003@yahoo.com