Sydney woman Leah Stewart wakes from induced coma more than a week after shark attack

Leah Stewart, a 34-year-old woman from Sydney, has reportedly woken from an induced coma more than a week after a shark attack at Coogee Beach, where she was bitten while swimming, BBC World reported on June 24.

According to the report, Stewart’s injuries were severe enough that one of her arms was amputated following the attack. The induced coma was used as part of her treatment in the period after the bite, the outlet said.

The attack occurred at Coogee Beach, a well-known public swimming area in Sydney’s eastern suburbs. Stewart’s condition and the medical steps taken afterward underscore the risks that can accompany beach water activities even in popular, regulated settings.

BBC said Stewart’s recovery included the transition out of the intensive care period that followed the initial assault and surgery. The report did not describe additional clinical milestones beyond her waking, nor did it provide further details on the cause or circumstances of the bite.

Public safety authorities in coastal areas often respond to serious shark encounters with monitoring and risk-management measures, but BBC did not specify the exact actions taken after this incident in the account referenced here.

Stewart’s family and the wider community are now expected to focus on rehabilitation following major surgery, as care shifts from emergency and critical support toward longer-term recovery. Her medical status beyond waking, including length of rehabilitation and eventual functional outcomes, was not specified in the reporting provided.