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Woman thanks Indianapolis firefighters for saving her $20,000 prosthetic leg

Her family was out on their boat and when she went to take off her prosthetic leg to get in the water, it slipped and fell in.

INDIANAPOLIS — As the Indianapolis Fire Department was finishing a pre-planned training exercise Saturday on Geist Reservoir, conservationists with the Department of Natural Resources asked them to help search for a missing prosthetic leg.  

That leg belonged to Amy Gillum. Her family was out on their boat and when she went to take off her prosthetic leg to get in the water, it slipped and fell in.  

Three divers with IFD spent 20 minutes each in zero visibility attempting to locate the leg.  

RELATED: IFD dive crew rescues woman's prosthetic leg

“I was sitting there thinking, ‘What am I going to do? How am I going to get off the boat?’ This is my life, and I never had that feeling of, ‘I am not walking unless I get this,’” Gillum said. 

After almost an hour of searching, the last diver was doing his final pass when he found it. It was located 20 feet down and 100 yards from shore.  

“They were the most selfless group of men that were so willing to help. They were just absolutely amazing,” Gillum said. 

Gillum said the leg cost $20,000 to $25,000. As scary as the situation was, she can’t help but laugh now.

She also can’t stop thanking the firefighters and DNR conservationists who came to her rescue.

“Something is coming Tuesday. I hear that is their next shift, so I already checked into that,” Gillum said.  

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