FIGHTING WORDS

Shark Attack Survivor, 34, Reveals How She Survived Grisly Ordeal

The woman said the shark’s face was “horrific.”

A woman who survived a shark attack in Sydney has revealed the grisly details of the ordeal. Leah Stewart, 34, was attacked by a great white shark while she was swimming between the safety flags at Sydney’s Coogee Beach on June 13. The mother-of one spent two weeks in a coma and underwent multiple surgeries, including the amputation of one of her arms. Stewart told Australia’s 60 Minutes that her survival instincts kicked in when she thought of her one-year-old daughter, August. “Its face was horrific–I will never forget. It was a monster,” Stewart said of the shark. “It was holding onto my leg. All I was thinking of was August and I thought, `She’s not going to have a mum,’” she added in a preview of the full interview that will air next week. Stewart, who works as a teacher, said through tears, “I couldn’t handle that. I did not want her to grow up without a mum. I just thought, I’ve got to fight it and do everything I can to be here.” A fundraiser for Stewart has now raised close to US$400,000, which will be used to support her recovery process and to access prosthetics and rehabilitation. She said the money will help her stay in her own home as she accesses medical treatment. “I will forever be grateful for everything, and everyone, I’ve been given,” Stewart said of the money raised. “You’ve inspired me to get better, not bitter.”