Montecito couple searching for owner of prosthetic leg found on highway

A Montecito couple is searching for the owner of the prosthetic leg they found on the side of U.S. Highway 101 near Carpinteria.

Erin Doherty and her husband Richard were on Highway 101 when they spotted something odd.

“We circled back several times and sure enough on the side of the road was somebody’s prosthetic leg,” Doherty said.

Knowing it meant a lot to someone, they took it home.

“Unfortunately, the leg was hit several times by cars on the 101,” Doherty said. “You can imagine these things as sturdy as they are, still at high speeds the impact has severely damaged it.”

Erin called the manufacturer of the prosthesis. She’s hoping the serial numbers will provide a clue about the owner’s identity.

Returning precious property to people is close to Doherty’s heart. After the mudslide in Montecito in January, Doherty started a Facebook page connecting items found in the wreckage with their owners.

The page is now called Montecito Connect Lost and Found, and is still serving a purpose — to help whenever possible.

“When an opportunity like that presents itself, the best thing you can do to pay it forward is to take action and if you can pay it forward you should,” Doherty said.

The Doherty’s are not only hoping to reunite the owner with the prosthetic leg, they are offering to help.

“Our company Playa Life IV is willing to step up and donate the funds to get this person a new leg or repair this one, we just have to find them first.”