Teacher Leah Stewart survived a four-metre great white shark attack at Sydney’s Coogee Beach on June 13, fighting off the animal to protect her baby daughter. Pulled from the water with severe injuries, she was saved by a rapid community rescue and trauma team before undergoing multiple operations, including the amputation of her left arm.
Face-to-Face With a Four-Metre Predator at Coogee Beach
What began as a routine Saturday morning swim turned into a fight for survival when Leah Stewart encountered a massive great white shark just metres from the shore at Coogee Beach. Having just finished her swim on June 13, Stewart heard a shrill shriek behind her as a huge fin cut through the water near another swimmer.
Expecting immediate help from the crowded shoreline, Stewart quickly realised she was alone. The shark turned directly toward her, closing the distance until it was a mere thirty centimetres from her face. Recalling the encounter, Stewart described the animal’s terrifying appearance with its massive jaws, black beady eyes, and horrific face.
“In my head, I was like, … ‘You are not taking me away from my daughter’, and I twisted myself around and I just started punching it over and over and over again – it was like fighting a dinosaur.”
Leah Stewart
Knowing she needed to protect her right hand, Stewart threw a left hook at the predator. The shark seized her forearm, ripping away muscle and skin, before dragging her under the water and clamping onto her thigh. Driven by the thought of her young daughter, August, growing up without a mother, Stewart managed to twist around and strike the animal repeatedly until it finally released her.
How World Champion Paddleboarder and Bystanders Executed the Rescue
About twenty metres away, four-time paddleboarding world champion Charlie Verco was training for an upcoming race when he heard the screams and saw the shark emerge from the water. Paddling toward the scene despite blood clouding the water, Verco reached Stewart just as the shark let go.
Too severely injured to climb onto the board, Stewart clung to a drink bottle holder on the front while Verco towed her backward toward the shore. Coogee Surf Life Saving Club president Ben Heenan, who was off duty and swimming with his partner, Dr. Cassandra McGregor, rushed into the surf with a rescue board to assist in bringing Stewart onto the sand.
Trauma Specialists and Riot Police Fight to Stop Massive Blood Loss
On the beach, Stewart faced an immediate threat of bleeding to death. Fortunately, a combination of medical professionals and law enforcement officers happened to be nearby. Dr. Ian Ferguson, an experienced trauma specialist who had stopped for coffee with his children, rushed to the scene alongside riot squad police officers who were patrolling the area following recent heightened security measures.
Police officers carried standard-issue tourniquets which were quickly applied to stem the hemorrhaging. Because Stewart had lost so much blood that her veins had entirely collapsed, Dr. Ferguson used an emergency drill to burrow directly into her shoulder bone marrow so fluids and blood could be administered immediately.
Surgeries, Induced Coma, and a Remarkable Public Fundraising Effort
Following her stabilization, a fundraising site raised around AU$560,000 to support her rehabilitation and the care of her daughter.
With her recovery progressing enough to build independence, Stewart announced that the fundraising page would stop accepting donations.
“I feel like I’ve been given a second chance at life, and I’m not going to waste it.”
Leah Stewart
