Leah Stewart recounts survival of great white shark attack

Leah Stewart, a 34-year-old teacher and mother, has shared details of her survival following a great white shark attack at Coogee Beach near Sydney, Australia. The incident occurred on June 13 while she was swimming approximately 100 feet from the shore.

Stewart described a split-second decision to protect her face and head by using her left arm to punch the shark, a choice made because she is right-handed. The attack resulted in severe, life-threatening injuries and required the amputation of her left arm. Following the ordeal, she spent two weeks in a coma and underwent multiple surgeries.

In her first major interview since the attack, Stewart recounted the terror of the encounter, describing the shark as a ‘monster’ and noting that her primary motivation to fight for her life was her one-year-old daughter, August.