Sydney woman wakes from induced coma more than a week after shark attack
The 34-year-old mother has briefly woken up from an induced coma after being mauled by what was suspected to be a Great White shark on a Sydney beach.
A woman who was the victim of a shark attack while swimming at a Sydney beach has briefly woken up from an induced coma, according to her family.
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Leah Stewart, 34, was swimming at Coogee Beach in Sydney on Saturday, 13th June, when she was bitten multiple times on her arms and legs and suffered extreme blood loss.
The mother and teacher were taken to the hospital in a critical condition and underwent multiple surgeries to have her arm amputated.
Her brother said Stewart’s medication was reduced on Tuesday so she could briefly wake from her induced coma.
She reportedly said “I love you” to her partner and mum who were by her bedside and asked if her daughter was ok.
In a message posted online, Joshua Stewart said: "This is a lot faster than anyone expected, and for us this feels like a miracle and is everything so many of us have hoped and prayed for over the past week”.
He confirmed that she is still in intensive care and has had five days of surgery in the past week and has more scheduled over the coming weeks.
"Leah has a long road ahead and still remains in critical care, but this is such a positive first step and gives us hope for Leah's long-term recovery”, he wrote.
Stewart had gone to Coogee Beach on Saturday morning to swim and was swimming near the shore when the attack took place.
This comes as the latest in a string of shark attacks in Australia this year.
In January, four attacks took place over a two-day period, including a young boy who was fatally bitten at a Sydney beach.
Two fatal shark attacks took place in the country last month, one killing a man who was spearfishing in Queensland, and another killing father-of-two Steven Mattaboni, 38, in Western Australia, after being bitten by a 13-foot shark.