The family of a mother mauled by a suspected 12ft great white shark have issued a heartbreaking update on her condition, revealing she remains on life support after losing an arm in the attack. Leah Stewart, 35, was left fighting for her life after she was savaged while swimming at Coogee Beach in Sydney, Australia, on Saturday morning.
Her brother, Joshua Stewart, has since revealed in a fundraising appeal that the Coogee local and mother-of-one remains in a critical condition after undergoing multiple surgeries. The appeal states that Ms Stewart "sustained severe and life-threatening injuries with multiple bites across her arms and legs, lacerations and fractures throughout her body, and extreme blood loss." It adds: "Leah remains in a critical condition on life support and has undergone multiple surgeries in the days after the attack. Tragically her treatment has required the amputation of her arm, and more surgeries are scheduled for the coming days."
Details of the Attack
The teacher had been swimming around 100ft from the shoreline shortly before 11am local time when the shark attacked. Witnesses described hearing a piercing scream before horrified beachgoers rushed to help. Off-duty doctors raced to Ms Stewart's aid and applied tourniquets to her badly injured limbs in a desperate bid to stem the bleeding before paramedics arrived. She was airlifted to St Vincent's Hospital in Sydney for emergency treatment.
Family Tribute
Paying tribute to his sister, Joshua Stewart wrote: "Leah is a dedicated and loving mother, a passionate teacher, and a Coogee local who loves the ocean. As a family we are shocked and devastated that this could happen to our beloved partner, daughter and mother who is so full of life and energy." The fundraising page says Ms Stewart faces "a long road to recovery" and that donations will help fund her rehabilitation, prosthetics and ongoing care as she works towards returning to life with her "much loved one year old daughter."
Witness Accounts
Witness Nicola Logan said she saw a "massive pool of blood" after the attack. ABC journalist Patrick Stack, who was at the beach, said: "Lots of people [were] swimming in the water when we heard a really chilling scream going out across the beach." Ms Stewart was pulled from the water by off-duty lifeguard Charlie Verco, 24, who ran into the sea to rescue her.
Community Response
Her family thanked "the lifesavers, first responders, helicopter crew, and the dedicated medical team at St. Vincents," as well as everyone who had reached out with "sympathy, care and prayer." Friends have described Ms Stewart as "amazing" and praised her commitment to campaigning for improved water quality and raising awareness of breast cancer. Last year, she swam more than 30 miles to raise money for breast cancer research. Several beaches across Sydney's eastern suburbs were temporarily closed after the attack while authorities monitored the area for sharks before reopening on Monday.
