Bridlington swimmer’s prosthetic leg found 10 months after being swept out to sea

Brenda Ogden, 69, lost her custom-made titanium blade moments before her swim in Bridlington last April.

She was posing for a picture with the Flamborough Flippers group when a big wave from the North Sea crashed into her, knocking her backwards and taking the prosthetic - worth £2000 - from her.

Now, 10 months later, it was found 12 miles away near Atwick, Hornsea, by Elizabeth Forbes, 38, who was walking along the beach looking for fossils.

Brenda said: "I am over the moon it has been found.

"I have spent the last couple of months mourning the loss as I had literally lost a part of me.

"I had come to terms that I might never see it again, but the fact that it has been found is just brilliant.

"Thank God for Lizzie."

Following the incident the group, which has 22 members, searched the rest of the day in the sand for Brenda's leg, but were unable to find it leaving her 'heartbroken'.

Brenda had her leg amputated below her knee five years ago following a horror car crash.

The retired nurse revealed she waited for over a year to get hold of it and had only had the blade for a week before she lost it.

She said: "I depended on the leg to be able to do water sports.

"I have a keen runner my whole life, so when I lost my leg I could no longer get involved as much.

"That was when I realised another way for me to exercise was through swimming.

"The leg was specially made to allow me to access water easily.

"I had never swum in the sea before that day and it was on my bucket list to do so.

"When the sea took it I packed in my idea of swimming."

Elizabeth, from Leven, East Yorkshire., was walking along the beach at 3pm on Monday, February 9, when she came across what she first thought to be a gas container.

But upon further inspection she realised it was a prosthesis.

The fossil hunter said: "I saw an unusual looking strange shape from the corner of my eye when I was walking.

"I doubled back on it and thought at first it was a gas canister.

"I was curious about what it was so I walked over and there it was trapped on top of some fallen rocks."

She then posted her strange find on Facebook group Holderness Coast Fossils where it was identified as Brenda's.

Elizabeth originally left the leg, but returned at 12:30 pm the next day (Tues 10) and hopes to deliver it back to Brenda at some point in the near future.

She said: "I have a feeling Brenda though she might never see the leg again, so I was chuffed to have found it for her and to deliver it back."

Brenda said: "I'm looking forward to meeting Lizzie, hopefully I have a friend for life now.

"I'm glad I will be able to give swimming another go now."