Leah Stewart on surviving a 4m great white shark attack at Coogee Beach, Sydney
Schoolteacher Leah Stewart recounts her survival after a severe great white shark attack at Coogee Beach in Sydney. She credits a chain of rescuers, including a world champion paddleboarder, for saving her life after she suffered catastrophic injuries.
Why it matters
The story highlights the importance of emergency response protocols and community intervention in life-threatening wildlife encounters.
Leah Stewart, 35, was mauled by a shark while swimming at one of Sydney’s Coogee Beach in June. In her first interview since waking from a coma, Stewart fought through tears to describe her fear of leaving her daughter without a mum. Photo / Nine
The 35-year-old schoolteacher was finishing a morning swim at Sydney’s Coogee Beach when a 4m great white shark tore into her arm and leg and dragged her underwater.
Within minutes, she had lost a catastrophic amount of blood. Doctors would later describe her injuries as “not compatible with life”.
Stewart spoke with 60 Minutes Australia about the improbable series of events that saved her life, crediting a world champion paddleboarder, an off-duty lifesaver, a trauma doctor, police officers and hospital staff who each formed an extraordinary chain of rescuers.
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