Australian Swimmer Recounts Punching Shark in Sydney Attack
Leah Stewart, an Australian primary school teacher, has shared her account of being mauled by a large shark at Sydney's Coogee Beach on June 13. Stewart, who was placed in an induced coma and had part of her left arm amputated following the attack, described encountering a great white shark, estimated to be up to four meters long. She recounted hearing a scream and seeing a large fin, initially mistaking it for a dolphin. Upon realizing it was a shark, she and others began screaming. When the shark approached her, she decided to punch it to protect her face, resulting in her left forearm being severely injured. The shark then grabbed her left thigh and pulled her underwater. Stewart fought back, punching the shark repeatedly until it released her. She was helped ashore by an elite paddleboarder, Charlie Verco, and received medical attention before being hospitalized. She emerged from her coma approximately 10 days after the incident. 
