A 34-year-old Australian mother who survived a brutal shark mauling at one of Sydney’s most popular public beaches says she is ready to embrace the new lease on life she has been given, after months of grueling recovery that included emergency surgery and the amputation of one arm.
Leah Stewart was attacked by the predator during an early morning swim at Coogee Beach back in June, suffering multiple laceration bites across her arms and legs. The incident was one of a string of deadly shark encounters recorded across Australia throughout 2026, which have claimed multiple lives already this year.
Following the attack, Stewart was placed in an induced coma by emergency medical teams to stabilize her condition, and underwent multiple urgent surgical procedures to save her life – one of which required the amputation of one of her arms.
In her first public statement since the attack, shared via social media on Monday, Stewart opened up about her challenging recovery journey, and expressed profound gratitude to the thousands of supporters who have rallied around her. An online community fundraiser organized on her behalf has now raised more than AU$550,000, equal to roughly US$394,000, to cover her ongoing medical and living costs.
“After what has been an incredibly difficult few months, I’m so happy that I’ve progressed enough to build some independence, and I can finally see some light after all of this,” Stewart wrote. “I want you to know that I feel like I’ve been given a second chance at life, and I’m not going to waste it.”
Stewart said she had been overwhelmed by the outpouring of support from her loved ones and even complete strangers from across the globe, adding that the kindness she has received has inspired her to focus on healing rather than resentment. “You’ve inspired me to get better, not bitter,” she wrote.
She confirmed that the online fundraiser would be officially closed now that the target has been far exceeded. The funds will allow her to complete her recovery in the comfort of her own home, and will also cover the cost of future adaptive medical treatments and prosthetic care.
“I still have a long way to go, but my recovery has been remarkable, and a huge part of that is because of the absolute army of love, support, prayers and encouragement surrounding my family and I from all over the world,” Stewart added.
Stewart’s full account of the attack will be broadcast this weekend on Nine Network’s flagship current affairs program *60 Minutes*. In pre-released excerpts from the interview, she described coming face-to-face with the shark before the attack, saying she will never forget the “horrific” sight of the animal. “I’ll never forget its face – it was a monster,” she said.
Recounting the terrifying moment the shark latched onto her leg, Stewart said her first and only thought was of her young daughter, August. “I just thought, ‘she’s not going to have a mum. She’s gonna grow up without a mum’,” she recalled. Fighting back tears, she added, “I couldn’t handle that, I didn’t want her to not have a mum. I just thought, I’ve got to fight it, do everything I can to be here.”
The attack on Stewart comes amid a marked rise in shark encounters along Australia’s coastlines this year. In January, four separate shark attacks were recorded across the country in just a 48-hour window, including one that left a 12-year-old boy dead from his injuries. In May, a spearfisher was killed by a shark off the coast of Queensland, and a father of two died after being attacked by a 4-meter great white shark in Western Australia.