Leah Stewart is identified as the young woman who was critically injured in a shark attack off Coogee Beach in Sydney on Saturday, June 13. The 35-year-old woman is also a young mother and an accomplished open-water swimmer and fundraiser.
Stewart was attacked while swimming about 30 meters offshore near the center of Coogee Beach. Authorities believe she was mauled by a 3.5-meter great white shark. She was rushed to St Vincent’s Hospital, where she remains in a critical but stable condition, according to multiple outlets, including news.com.au.
Her partner was reportedly in Vancouver, Canada, for the FIFA World Cup when the attack occurred. According to 7News, he immediately departed for Australia after being informed of what had happened.
Who is Leah Stewart, shark attack victim?
Leah Stewart has lived in Coogee for several years and is well known in the local community for her love of open-water swimming. According to online results from the National Breast Cancer Foundation, she competed alongside her partner in the 2024 Coogee Island Challenge, a popular ocean swimming event.
In November, Stewart completed an extraordinary personal challenge, swimming more than 50 kilometers to raise more than 600 dollars for breast cancer research.
“As a breastfeeding mum, I have a whole new appreciation for these incredible organs and want to do my part in supporting the fight against the most common cancer in women,” she wrote on the fundraising page.
According to The Sydney Morning Herald, Stewart and her partner welcomed a child early last year and were often seen spending time in and around the water with their family.
The Coogee Beach shark attack
Local residents told 7NEWS that Stewart was swimming around 30 meters from shore when the shark struck. A witness cited by the outlet reportedly said there was a large amount of blood in the water following the attack.
As the shark continued circling nearby, 24-year-old surf lifesaver Charlie Verco rushed into the water to help bring Stewart back to shore.
“I’d like to think I did enough to get her in fast enough,” he told 7NEWS. “Once I had her next to me, I was just going, ‘keep your head above water, keep breathing, you’re doing really well, we’re almost at the beach.’”
On Monday, beaches in Sydney's eastern suburbs reopened.
