Leah Stewart has been on life support since the “severe” shark attack on Saturday, June 13
Credit: gofundme
NEED TO KNOW
- Leah Stewart was severely injured in a shark attack at Coogee Beach in Australia on Saturday, June 13
- Stewart, 35, remains on life support after undergoing multiple surgeries since the incident
- A fundraiser has been launched to support Stewart’s recovery and her one-year-old daughter’s future needs
The identity of the woman critically injured in a shark attack at Australia's Coogee Beach has been released by St. Vincent's Hospital, Sydney, and through a fundraiser set up by her family members.
On Saturday, June 13, Leah Stewart sustained “severe and life-threatening injuries” when a shark attacked her during a morning swim close to the shore, said St. Vincent's Hospital Sydney in a news release obtained by PEOPLE. Stewart, a 35-year-old “dedicated and loving mother,” has undergone multiple surgeries since the incident.
She remains in critical condition on life support, having suffered “multiple bites” and “extreme blood loss” in the shark attack, her brother Joshua wrote on GoFundMe. After reportedly having an arm amputated, Stewart is now expected to undergo more surgeries.
“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,” Joshua wrote on GoFundMe.
Credit: gofundme
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The fundraiser — which has also been shared by St. Vincent Hospital, where Stewart is undergoing treatment — has been set up to support the mom throughout her recovery as well as her daughter in the coming years.
“Leah faces a long road to recovery and your support will make a huge difference in her quality of life, rehabilitation and ability to go back to being a mom to her much-loved one-year-old daughter,” Joshua wrote on GoFundMe.
A friend was taking care of Stewart's toddler on the beach at the time of her attack, the Sydney Morning Herald reported, which also noted that her partner returned to Australia from an overseas trip after learning about the incident.
According to the outlet, Stewart is an accomplished local swimmer and competed in the Coogee Island Challenge alongside her partner in 2024. She also completed a charitable swimming event in November.
Charlie Verco, a 24-year-old off-duty lifeguard, was nearby and saw the moment Stewart was dragged under the water on Saturday, local outlet 9 News reported.
“I started paddling out to see if everything was alright, and I could see something in the water,” he said. “There was a lot of blood in the water. I couldn't really see what was going on. She popped up and [the shark] let her go, and that was when I got close enough to grab her and put her on my board and take her to shore.”
Verco told The Guardian Australia that the shark "was big, about 3.5 metres," adding, "I've only ever seen one shark bigger than that, and that was a tiger shark in Hawaii.”
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Credit: Getty
An off-duty critical care doctor, lifeguards, police and council personnel helped to stabilized Stewart on the beach, the Sydney Morning Herald reported. She was then flown to the hospital with a severely mauled left arm and leg.
“We share our sincere thanks and gratitude to the lifesavers, first responders, helicopter crew, and the dedicated medical team of doctors, nurses, and support staff at St Vincent's Hospital Sydney who have been caring for Leah,” said Joshua in St. Vincent's Hospital Sydney's news release.
“Our thanks to all who have reached out to the family with sympathy, care and prayer,” he added.
Beaches in Sydney's eastern suburbs reopened on Monday despite Stewart having been mauled by a great white shark just two days ago, the Sydney Morning Herald reported.
The Civil Aviation Safety Authority has temporarily lifted a ban on using drones to monitor the water. According to 9 News, drones are usually not allowed at Coogee Beach due to its proximity to Sydney Airport.
“Drones have proven to be the number one factor in the shark mitigation strategy for swimmer and surfer protection,” Surf Life Saving NSW chief executive Steve Pearce told the Sydney Morning Herald.
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