Sydney Shark Attack Survivor Recalls Fighting Great White to Survive

A Morning Swim Turns Into a Brutal Attack at Coogee Beach

Leah Stewart survived a terrifying encounter with a four-metre-long great white shark on the morning of June 13. The 34-year-old primary school teacher and mother, swimming in crystal-clear water at Coogee Beach, finished her late-morning session and headed toward the sand. Then she heard a girl scream.

She turned to see a massive fin behind her. Recognizing it was not a dolphin, she began screaming at the top of her lungs.

“I’ve never screamed that loud and that crazy in my life,” Ms Stewart recalled in an interview with 60 Minutes Australia. “I’m just thinking, ‘Surely the lifeguards will hear us screaming, a jet ski is going to come out any second and scare it away.'”

Facing the Predator and Fighting Back

When help did not arrive immediately, she stood face-to-face with the predator. The shark’s face was horrific, featuring massive teeth, a huge mouth, and small, black beady eyes. Fearing the creature would bite her head or face, she decided to fight back. Because she is right-handed, she threw a left hook at the animal’s body. It felt like hitting a brick wall or fighting a dinosaur.

The shark grabbed her forearm, ripping away skin and muscle, before biting her left thigh and dragging her underwater. Thinking of her young daughter, August, she took a big breath and turned herself around.

“I just started punching it over and over and over again, just punch, punch, punch,” she said. The blows eventually caused the animal to let go, allowing her to surface.

Rescued From the Water and Saved on the Sand

Charlie Verco, an elite paddleboarder in the water nearby, and another bystander swam out to drag Ms Stewart onto the beach. Dr. Ian Ferguson, a trauma specialist who happened to be on the scene, provided crucial medical care. He applied tourniquets and drilled into the bone marrow of her shoulders to establish vascular access when her veins collapsed.

Upon arrival at the hospital, her injuries were initially categorized as not compatible with life, according to 60 Minutes. She suffered extreme blood loss, requiring the amputation of her left arm. Her treatment in intensive care included an induced coma before doctors reduced her sedation about 10 days after the attack.

Recovery and a Region on High Alert

Reflecting on her recovery, Ms Stewart expressed deep gratitude to the bystanders and medical staff who saved her life. She also noted the emotional and physical toll the injuries have taken on her daily interaction with her young daughter.

The incident occurred within months of beaches in Sydney, and dozens more along Australia’s east coast, being closed after four people were attacked by sharks in two days.