Leah Stewart had an arm amputated after a shark attack at Coogee beach on Saturday and remained in critical condition at St Vincent’s hospital. Her family said the 34-year-old primary school teacher and mother is still on life support as they wait for more news on other injuries.
Joshua Stewart said the family was preparing for further serious injury news, including possible damage to her legs, after the attack by a suspected 3.5-metre great white shark. He also said the family had launched a GoFundMe campaign on Monday to cover the specialist care they expect over a long period, including prosthetics.
Charlie Verco rescue
Charlie Verco paddled directly into the bloodied water and pulled the unconscious Leah Stewart on to his board before she was taken to hospital. Joshua Stewart said the family’s focus has been on the people who helped from the beach through to the hospital team, and he described the situation as “It’s such a tragic situation”.
He said Leah is a dedicated ocean swimmer and had been in the flags, close to shore, when the attack happened on a crystal-clear Saturday morning. He added: “Leah is so full of life, she’s so energetic, she loves the ocean, she was a keen swimmer, she was swimming in the flags, really close to the shore when it happened on a crystal-clear Saturday morning. She’d done all the right things.”
St Vincent’s hospital care
The family said the medical team had largely brought her extreme blood loss under control, but they were still waiting to learn the full extent of her long-term injuries. Joshua Stewart said, “At the moment, we’re not a hundred per cent sure … we’re still waiting on further news from the hospital”, and added that there are “multiple, quite serious injuries.”
For the family, the immediate practical issue is not the beach itself but the next stage of care: surgery, rehabilitation, and likely prosthetics. The GoFundMe campaign is meant to help meet those costs while St Vincent’s hospital continues treatment, and the family said Leah Stewart and her 18-month-old daughter are trying to keep day-to-day life moving around the shock of the attack.
Joshua Stewart said, “We’re lucky the family’s all been able to come together and she’s getting a lot of love … we’re just trying to make it all work”. He also said, “This has been negatively life-changing for Leah. It is just such a tragic and horrific circumstance.” The question now is how severe the leg injuries are and what that means for the length and shape of her recovery.
