Man gets bionic hand

Waterbury (WTNH) - A father of five from Naugatuck is the first person in our state to receive a bionic hand. It's called an I-limb and News Channel 8 met with Robert Lingl and found out what went into his history making medical procedure.

More than 18 years after losing his left hand in a drunk driving accident, Robert is receiving a state of the art limb by Hangar Orthopedic group.

"Every year or every six months I'd got back to the website and then this past spring, I saw the I-limb. And I said yeah, this is finally, after 18 and a half years it's there," Robert said.

"Previous prosthetic hands would open and close in what's called the three jaw chuck pattern. With this technology we have the ability to fully articulate each finger to give him a more secure grasp and better grasping patterns," said Matthew Mikoz from Hanger Orthopedic Group.

It will give Robert the ability to do things he has been able to do in almost two decades, like grip a baseball or a fishing rod, the pastime he has missed the most.

"This is something I used to do a lot before I was even married. I grew up in a family of fishermen. I've been fishing since I was three," Robert said.