Man loses leg while surfing, but not how you think

Credit: Catherine Ivill/Getty Images

Credit: Catherine Ivill/Getty Images

A Virginia man lost his leg while surfing in Virginia Beach. Now, Ryan Johnson is trying to find his missing prosthetic limb.

Johnson got an artificial leg after he lost his leg in a motorcycle accident two years ago, but he continues to surf as he has done since he was 11, WAVY reported.

>> Read more trending news

He was on his longboard this past weekend when he felt the prosthetic start to come loose.

"I'm sitting on the sand and trying to grab my prosthetic and keep it on while trying to hold on to my longboard," Johnson told WAVY.

But then a large wave hit him.

"I see the wave. I see the foot, the whole prosthetic, under the wave near the sand and then it crashed and it (the prosthetic) was gone," he told the television station.

Johnson had been surfing since he was 11 years old. The prosthetic leg allowed him to continue to surf.

"It fit really well, it's actually my workout foot. It's carbon fiber. It's springy. I'm able to run in it," Johnson told WAVY.

It also has some unique markings: The Joker is painted on the front and Marvin the Martian is on the back of the leg, WAVY reported.

Johnson is now using a backup leg but hopes to get the other one back.

About the Author