Shark Attack Survivor Faces Setback as Skin Graft Fails

Shark attack survivor Leah Stewart has reported a significant setback in her recovery, with doctors confirming that a skin graft intended to heal her injured leg has failed. The news comes three months after Stewart, 35, was attacked by a great white shark while swimming at Sydney's Coogee Beach.

In a social media update on Tuesday, Stewart expressed her devastation after a recent check-up revealed the graft's failure. "It was confirmed that it failed," she stated, adding, "So yeah, feeling pretty devastated, had quite a few tears and now we're not really sure where to go from here. It's been three and a half months and my leg is still open."

Stewart, who lost her left arm below the elbow in the attack, had undergone several surgeries. The failed skin graft, taken from her right leg, was an attempt to close a severe wound on her left leg, which she had previously described as looking like a "surfboard with a shark bite taken out of it."

She is currently taking a break from a vacuum-assisted closure (VAC) device, a treatment that uses suction to aid wound healing, as doctors explore new approaches. Stewart showed viewers the donor site on her right leg, noting that while it is still raw, it is healing. She also shared the appearance of the graft on her left leg, confirming, "But unfortunately, it didn't take."

Stewart, a teacher and mother, was swimming between the designated flags and close to shore when the attack occurred on June 13. She recounted entering survival mode, thinking of her one-year-old daughter August, and described punching the shark while looking into its eyes. Off-duty lifeguard Charlie Verco assisted Stewart out of the water after the attack. Lifeguards provided immediate first aid and applied tourniquets onshore before Stewart was airlifted to St. Vincent's Hospital, where she remained in a coma for 10 days. She has expressed a desire to eventually return to teaching at Hurstville Adventist School.