Coogee Shark Attack Victim Wakes Briefly From Induced Coma
A 34-year-old Sydney teacher and mother briefly woke from an induced coma on June 23 after suffering life-threatening injuries in a shark attack at Coogee Beach on June 13, her family reported. Leah Stewart told her mother and partner “I love you” while asking about her daughter during the awakening at St Vincent’s Hospital, where she remains in intensive care. Her brother Joshua Stewart described the progress as faster than anticipated and a source of hope despite the challenges ahead.
Stewart’s family said in statements carried by outlets including ABC News that she had undergone five days of surgery in the past week with additional procedures scheduled in the coming weeks. The updates indicated she continues in a critical but stable condition that is likely to persist for some time. According to the family, the brief awakening marked a positive first step in what they characterised as a long recovery process.
Joshua Stewart posted an online message that read, “This is a lot faster than anyone expected, and for us this feels like a miracle and is everything so many of us have hoped and prayed for over the past week.” He added that Leah Stewart has a long road ahead and still remains in critical care. The family also launched a GoFundMe campaign to help cover anticipated specialised medical expenses.
The attack occurred on a Saturday morning while Stewart swam close to shore at the popular beach, where an off-duty lifeguard assisted in her rescue, according to reports from The Guardian and 7News. She sustained multiple bites to her arms and legs along with extreme blood loss, leading to the amputation of one arm and treatment for fractures and lacerations. Hospital staff placed her in an induced coma immediately after the incident to aid stabilisation.
Tracking Sharks data places the number of shark attacks across Australia in 2026 at nine so far, four of them fatal. The Florida Museum of Natural History’s International Shark Attack File recorded 21 unprovoked incidents in Australian waters during 2025 that resulted in five deaths, a total above the recent five-year average. Earlier this year a spate of attacks included four in a 48-hour period in January that claimed the life of a young boy at a Sydney beach.
Fatalities in the preceding 12 months featured a spearfisher killed in Queensland and a 38-year-old father of two, Steven Mattaboni, who died after an encounter with a four-metre shark in Western Australia, according to BBC reporting that referenced state authorities. The incident involving Stewart has drawn renewed attention to beach safety measures, including increased drone surveillance in New South Wales. Community members organised a swim at Coogee Beach to show support for the victim and her family.
