The artificial limb has been handed into local police.

A couple fishing has stumbled across an unexpected — and unusually personal — find after spotting a prosthetic leg in the sand at a popular surf beach.

Police are now trying to track down the owner of a prosthetic leg that washed up on the NSW Mid North Coast.

Jessica White and her fiance Chris Schneider were on Forster Beach at Scotts Head on Sunday afternoon when they spotted the artificial limb on the shoreline.

Schneider said he noticed their dogs sniffing at something in the sand before realising what it was.

“I was surprised — it wasn’t there when we pulled up,” he told the ABC.

“I’m not sure if it floated in or if the tide uncovered it. I didn’t put it back in the water to see if it was buoyant.”

White posted a photo to social media in the hope of finding its owner before handing it in at Nambucca Heads Police Station on Monday.

“Soooooo ummmmm anyone missing a prosthetic leg,” she wrote on Facebook in a post that quickly garnered thousands of reactions. “Washed up on the beach around 4km past 4WD track towards Nambucca whilst fishing just now.”

The prosthesis, which could be worth as much as $5000, appeared to be in relatively good condition.

Police confirmed the limb was received about 1.30pm on Monday and that officers from the North Coast Police District are now making inquiries.

Anyone with information about the prosthesis or its owner is urged to contact NSW Police.