Leah Stewart, 35, has detailed her harrowing experience of a shark attack at Sydney's Coogee Beach on June 13, 2026, an incident that marked the first such attack at the location in over a century. Stewart spent ten days in a coma following the mauling, which resulted in the amputation of her left arm and severe injuries to her thigh and right arm.
Stewart recalled the moments leading up to the attack by a four-meter great white shark. "I was like, 'You ugly f***er, you are not taking me away from my daughter,'" she stated, describing how the thought of her one-year-old daughter, August, motivated her to fight back. She recounted punching the shark repeatedly until it released her.
The rescue effort involved several individuals, including world champion paddleboarder Charlie Verco, who helped Stewart to shore, and off-duty surf lifesaver Ben Heenan. Dr. Kassandra McGregor, a doctor, called emergency services, while frontline trauma specialist Dr. Ian Ferguson provided immediate medical aid on the beach, administering fluids through the bone marrow of her shoulders due to extreme blood loss. "I was hopeful that she would survive to hospital, but I didn't think it was a given at that point," Ferguson said.
Stewart described a near-death experience on the sand, where she felt herself slipping away but was brought back by the vision of her daughter. "I sort of willed myself back," she explained, before opening her eyes to see those around her.
After being rushed to Saint Vincent's Hospital, Stewart remained in a coma for ten days and underwent eleven surgeries. Upon waking on June 23, her first conscious words were directed to her mother, Christine. "I love you," Stewart said, a moment her mother described as deeply emotional, noting the awareness in her daughter's eyes. "Once they got the tube out, she just looked at me and she said, 'I love you.'"
In the months since the attack, Stewart has been focused on rehabilitation, learning to walk and write again. While she has not suffered cognitive damage, she is still coming to terms with the loss of her arm. "There's good days and bad days. For me, I'm still coming to terms that (my arm's) not there," she said, expressing frustration when her daughter seeks to be held. Stewart is finding solace in what she calls "small wins," such as being able to brush her own teeth.