Boy who lost arm to gator 'has no fear'

SLIDELL, La., Aug. 23 (UPI) -- A Louisiana boy who lost his arm to an alligator just weeks ago is already planning for life with a prosthetic and is not letting the injury hold him back.

Devin Funck's mother, Kim, says her 12-year-old son "just seems to have no fear," noting last week he went out to play paint ball with friends at Lake Crystal where he had his encounter with a 10-foot-8 gator dubbed Big Joe, The (New Orleans) Times-Picayune reported Friday.

Devin and some friends were swimming at the lake July 30 the alligator, dragged him under. After the alligator grabbed his arm it pushed him away and he was able to get to the surface and swim to shore.

"It was Godzilla," he said. "I thought I still had my arm, and I looked and I was like, 'Oh, man.'"

Devin had his first fitting for a prosthetic Friday with guidance from Russell Marse, a man who lost an arm at the age of 13. Because he is still growing, Devin will need a new arm every year for a while.

He knows what he wants -- "a robot arm that looks like the Terminator."