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Ogden Man pleads for the return of prosthetic leg

Posted at 10:07 PM, Apr 18, 2017
and last updated 2017-04-19 00:08:57-04

ROY, Utah -- The prosthetic leg of an Ogden man was stolen along with his stereo and climbing gear on Tuesday. Now, the man is pleading to the community to help him find his leg.

“I can do it, I'm just really limited. There's a lot I can't even attempt without that extra leg,” said Carsen Taylor of Ogden.

Carson loves to climb but it became a challenge when he lost his left leg. A little more than a year ago he got a prosthetic leg that gave him the freedom to climb again, but over the weekend that tool was stolen from him.

Carsen got sick Saturday at work, a coworker offered to drive him home but when he went back to get his car Sunday morning someone had broken in.

“I got in and saw my stereo was gone so I started to freak out a little bit,” Carsen said. “The big thing is they took my backpack with all my climbing stuff."

Among the ropes and carabiners was his prosthetic limb. It was a gift Carsen got from family and members of the rock climbing community after he had to have his left leg amputated nearly three years ago.

“Prosthetic is a big one, it’s a 12,000 dollar prosthetic, it's made specifically for me, so there's not much anyone else could do with it,” Carsen said.

Without that special leg, it makes doing what he loves nearly impossible.

“I went to the gym last night to go climbing again. I learned to climb with one leg while I was waiting to get it, it's just not the same,” Taylor said.

The prosthetic limb was the only thing to help him scale the rocks again after he lost his leg while climbing in October of 2014.

“Up in the mountains just climbing with the friends, and I had a buddy climbing up above me and he held onto a boulder that wasn't so steady and it came off the mountain and landed on top of me,” Carsen said. “It took my foot right almost completely off.”

Carsen lost a lot more than just his leg he lost his ability to climb.

The specialized prosthetic leg brought that back.

“In my mind, it's probably in the bottom of a dumpster somewhere, which sucks but if they want to bring it back they can have my stereo, I don't care,” Carsen said.

Insurance helps pay for the leg Carsen wears every day but he can't wear that climbing.

If anyone has any information please contact Roy police at 801-774-1010.