After losing the use of his fingers to frostbite Metro Detroit man carves path to recovery

GROSSE ILE, Mich. – A man who lost the use of his fingers to frostbite is using wood carving to exercise his damaged hands.

Ken Wagel carves birds and remembers what brought him to the craft. His fingers were damaged during a winter storm after he got caught on the ice where the Detroit River feeds into Lake Erie.

He was told he might get dexterity back into his fingers if he tried wood carving and 50 years later he teases that his only disability is he can’t ball a fist for a good fight.

Ken Wagel Waterfowl Carving on Facebook


About the Author:

Paula Tutman is an Emmy award-winning journalist who came to Local 4 in 1992. She's married and the stepmother of three beautiful and brilliant daughters. Her personal philosophy in life, love and community is, "Do as much as you can possibly do, not as little as you can possibly get away with".