Leah Stewart, a teacher in her mid‑30s, survived a shark attack at Coogee Beach in Sydney after being airlifted to a hospital in critical condition on June 13.
She remained in an induced coma for ten days and underwent five surgeries, including the amputation of an arm, before doctors began to wean her off life‑support.
When sedation was reduced and the breathing tube removed, Stewart spoke her first words, telling her mother and partner, “I love you.”
She immediately asked after her daughter, August, confirming the child’s well‑being.
Family members have stayed at her bedside in intensive care, describing the moment as a hopeful milestone in a long recovery process.
The attack occurred amid a recent spate of shark‑related incidents in Australia, which have claimed the lives of three men since May and a 12‑year‑old boy in January.
