‘I’ll Never Forget Its Horrific Face’: Mum Who Fought 11ft ‘Monster’ Shark for Her Daughter Reveals Terrifying Ordeal After Two-Week Coma.
A Sydney mother who spent two weeks in an induced coma after a brutal shark attack has spoken of the moment a suspected great white locked onto her leg and the single thought that forced her to fight for survival. Leah Stewart, 34, says the image of the predator’s face will haunt her forever — and that the only reason she is alive today is the determination not to leave her young daughter without a mother.
The attack happened on the morning of 13 June 2026 at Coogee Beach, one of Sydney’s most popular swimming spots. Stewart, a local teacher and ocean lover, was swimming roughly 20 to 30 metres from shore between the flags when the shark struck. Witnesses described a sudden eruption of blood in the water. An off-duty lifeguard on a paddleboard helped drag her to safety before she was rushed to hospital in a critical condition.
Doctors faced multiple life-threatening injuries: severe bites to both arms and legs, broken bones and catastrophic blood loss. Surgeons were forced to amputate one of her arms. Stewart was placed in an induced coma and spent days in intensive care undergoing repeated operations. For nearly two weeks her family waited, uncertain whether she would wake.
When doctors finally reduced her sedation, Stewart’s first words were “I love you” to her mother and partner. Her immediate concern was for her daughter August, then just over a year old. Family members later confirmed she remembered the entire attack in vivid detail. In recent comments she described coming face-to-face with the animal. “I’ll never forget its face — it was a monster,” she said. As the shark held her leg, one overwhelming thought dominated: her daughter would grow up without a mum. That realisation, she explained, gave her the strength to fight with everything she had.
Stewart’s recovery has been long and demanding. Further surgery and intensive rehabilitation lie ahead, particularly for the remaining arm, which suffered severe tendon and nerve damage. Yet she has already regained enough independence to express profound gratitude. Supporters have raised more than half a million Australian dollars to help cover medical costs and support the family during her extended rehabilitation. In her first public reflections, Stewart described feeling as though she had been given a second chance at life and insisted she would not waste it.
The incident occurred amid heightened concern about shark activity along Sydney’s beaches. For Stewart, the ordeal has permanently altered her relationship with the ocean she once loved. The physical scars are obvious; the psychological ones — the memory of that “horrific” face and the near-loss of her role as a mother — may last even longer. Yet her story is also one of fierce maternal instinct. In the moments when survival seemed impossible, the thought of August proved stronger than fear.
As she continues the slow process of rebuilding strength and adapting to life with one arm, Stewart’s focus remains clear: being present for her daughter. The shark may have left an indelible mark, but the mother’s determination to fight back has ensured that August still has her mum.