Sydney woman recalls how she punched shark during Coogee Beach attack
A Sydney woman recounts her harrowing experience surviving a shark attack at Coogee Beach. She describes fighting off the 4-meter great white shark to protect her life for the sake of her daughter.
Why it matters
Highlights the ongoing public safety concerns regarding shark encounters in Australian coastal waters.
Share Save Add as preferred on Google Lana Lam Sydney Supplied Leah Stewart was mauled by a shark at Sydney's Coogee Beach in June A Sydney woman who survived a shark attack has described the moment she came face-to-face with a 4m great white before repeatedly punching it.
Leah Stewart, 34, was dragged under the water at Coogee Beach in June as the shark bit into her thigh and arms, leaving her with extreme blood loss and injuries so severe that doctors had to amputate her left arm.
In an interview which aired on Sunday, the mother-of-one said she was determined to live for the sake of her baby daughter.
"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".
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