Shark attack survivor Leah Stewart has suffered a setback after doctors confirmed a skin graft on her leg failed three months after the mauling. The 35-year-old Sydney schoolteacher was mauled by a great white shark on June 13 while swimming between the flags at Coogee Beach.
Ms Stewart underwent multiple emergency surgeries following the attack, including the amputation of her left arm below the elbow. Surgeons also attempted a skin graft to repair a severe bite wound on her left leg, taking healthy tissue from her right leg.
In a video shared to Instagram on Tuesday, Ms Stewart revealed that her leg wound remains open three and a half months after the attack. She explained that medical staff checked the graft site on Monday and confirmed the procedure had failed.
Describing herself as feeling "pretty devastated", Ms Stewart acknowledged crying after receiving the news. She noted that doctors were uncertain about the next step in her treatment plan, though she remains committed to moving forward.
Leg Wound Treatment and Medical Setback
Skin grafting is a surgical procedure where healthy skin is removed from an uninjured part of the body, known as the donor site, to cover areas with extensive tissue loss. While many skin grafts integrate successfully, graft failure can occur if adequate blood supply fails to establish or if underlying tissue experiences complications during healing.
To assist her recovery, Ms Stewart had been using a portable vacuum-assisted closure device attached to her left leg. Vacuum-assisted closure, also known as negative pressure wound therapy, uses controlled suction through a sealed dressing to draw fluid from open wounds and encourage new tissue growth.
Ms Stewart explained that she is taking a temporary break from the machine, allowing her to move more freely despite the open wound. She also shared footage of the donor site on her right leg, describing it as still raw but thankfully healing.
The Coogee Beach Shark Mauling
The encounter took place on June 13 while Ms Stewart was swimming close to the shoreline at Coogee Beach in Sydney. Coogee is a coastal suburb in eastern Sydney known for its beach and ocean waters.
At the time of the attack, Ms Stewart was swimming between the flags, a designated safe area marked by yellow-and-red surf lifesaving flags. In Australian beach culture, swimming between the flags indicates a zone monitored by trained surf lifesavers to protect beachgoers from ocean hazards.
Despite being within the patrolled area, a great white shark struck Ms Stewart in shallow water. Great white sharks are large ocean fish known as apex predators in marine ecosystems. The shark involved in the incident was subsequently captured on drone footage above the water.
During an interview on the television program 60 Minutes, Ms Stewart recounted staring into the shark's "black little beady eyes" during the struggle. She described going into survival mode as she thought of her one-year-old daughter, August, and carefully decided which arm to use to punch the predator.
Emergency Rescue and Hospital Care
The life-saving rescue began when off-duty lifeguard Charlie Verco, 25, spotted the attack while paddleboarding approximately 100 metres away. Mr Verco immediately paddled toward the shark to assist Ms Stewart and helped pull her from the water.
Once onshore, beach lifeguards administered emergency first aid, applying tourniquets to stop severe bleeding before Ms Stewart regained consciousness. Tourniquets are specialized medical bands used to compress blood vessels and prevent fatal hemorrhage from severe limb injuries.
Emergency responders airlifted Ms Stewart to St Vincent's Hospital, a major medical facility located in Sydney. She was placed in a medically induced coma for 10 days while trauma surgeons worked to stabilize her condition and perform surgeries.
Ms Stewart lives with her husband and young daughter August, and works as an educator. Despite the latest recovery setback, she maintains hope of eventually returning to her career teaching at Hurstville Adventist School.
