Woman wakes from coma after shark attack at Sydney's Coogee Beach

Leah Stewart briefly woke from an induced coma on Tuesday, June 23, and told her mother and partner, Fernando, "I love you" after a shark attack at Coogee Beach left the 34-year-old with catastrophic injuries and an amputated arm. She had been swimming between the flags just before 11am on Saturday, June 13, about 20 to 30 metres offshore in Sydney’s eastern suburbs, when the attack happened.

Off-duty volunteer lifeguard Charlie Verco helped tow Stewart back to shore. Once she reached land, members of the public and surf lifesavers applied tourniquets and CPR before emergency services took over and she was rushed to St Vincent’s Hospital in a critical condition. The shark was identified as a white shark, about 3.5 metres long.

Stewart’s injuries included bites to her arms and legs, lacerations, fractures throughout her body and extreme blood loss. She underwent multiple surgeries, and one of her arms was amputated after the attack. She remained in intensive care on life support for days and still faces extensive ongoing care, support and rehabilitation.

Drumlines were deployed along the Coogee coastline, and shark-spotting drones were sent over the water. A temporary flight restriction tied to Sydney Airport was lifted so the drones could survey the area.

A community swim-out at Coogee Beach on June 20 drew more than 1,000 people. A fundraiser set up for Stewart and her family quickly passed $365,000 and later aimed for $450,000 to help cover prosthetics, rehabilitation and the adjustments needed for her to care for her baby daughter, August. Her family thanked the lifesavers, paramedics, helicopter crew, St Vincent’s staff and the local community.