Australian Shark Attack Survivor Says She Has Been Given a ‘Second Chance at Life’

An Australian woman who survived a devastating shark attack at Sydney’s Coogee Beach has spoken publicly for the first time about her recovery, saying she feels she has been given a “second chance at life” and intends to make the most of it.

Leah Stewart, a mother and teacher, was attacked while swimming at Coogee Beach on June 13, suffering multiple bites to her arms and legs and losing a significant amount of blood. She was taken to hospital in critical condition and later underwent several operations, including the amputation of one of her arms.

The 35-year-old spent days in an induced coma as doctors treated her injuries. More than two months after the attack, Stewart says her recovery has been remarkable, although she acknowledges that she still has a long road ahead.

In a message posted on her fundraising page, Stewart thanked the thousands of people who supported her and her family financially and emotionally during her recovery.

She said the support had helped her regain some independence and begin looking towards a more normal life.

“I feel like I’ve been given a second chance at life, and I’m not going to waste it.”

Stewart also said she hoped to use the opportunity to give back through “generosity, care and love”, adding that the support she received had inspired her to “get better, not bitter.”

The mother-of-one is expected to speak in greater detail about the attack in an interview with Australia’s 60 Minutes.

According to reports from the interview, Stewart recalled seeing the shark during the attack and described it as a “monster”.

Her thoughts immediately turned to her young daughter, August.

Stewart said she feared her daughter would grow up without a mother, which strengthened her determination to survive.

“I’ve got to fight it and do everything I can to be here.”

She was later placed in an induced coma and underwent multiple surgeries. When she was briefly brought out of the coma about 11 days after the attack, one of her first concerns was her daughter.

The attack sparked an extraordinary public response, with a fundraising campaign for Stewart and her family raising more than A$550,000.

Stewart has now decided to close the fundraiser, saying the money raised will allow her family to remain in their home, continue her recovery and have access to further treatment and rehabilitation.

She said she was “constantly overwhelmed” by the generosity of both people she knew and complete strangers.

“I can finally see some light after all of this,” she said in her fundraising update.

Stewart’s attack was one of a series of shark incidents reported around Australia this year.

In New South Wales, authorities have expanded the use of drones to monitor shark activity along beaches. The surveillance programme now covers dozens of beaches, with operators able to alert swimmers when sharks are detected.

The Coogee attack has also renewed discussion about how authorities can improve shark detection while keeping popular beaches open to swimmers.

For Stewart, however, the focus is now firmly on recovery, rebuilding her independence and caring for her young daughter.

After surviving an attack that left her with life-changing injuries, she says she is determined to use what she calls her second chance at life to make a difference.