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Shark attack survivor Leah Stewart has described coming face-to-face with a great white shark in an emotional interview, marking the first time the Sydney mother has spoken publicly since the brutal attack in which she lost part of her arm.
The 34-year-old was swimming at Coogee Beach on the morning of June 13 when she was bitten by the shark.
Stewart was left in a coma for two weeks and underwent several surgeries, including an arm amputation, during her lengthy hospital stay.
In an interview with the Nine Network’s 60 Minutes, set to air this Sunday, the mother of one said her memory of the attack remained crystal-clear. As the shark latched on to her leg, her mind was fixed on her 18-month-old daughter, August.
“It was holding on to my leg. All I was thinking of was August and I thought, she’s not going to have a mum,” Stewart said, as she fought back tears.
“I couldn’t handle that, I didn’t want her not to have a mum.”
She also recounted the moment she came face-to-face with the shark.
“Its face was horrific. I will never forget. It was a monster.”
The interview on Sunday will also air an audio recording of the Triple Zero call made from the shore that day.
“Hi, we’ve got a shark attack at Coogee Beach. There’s a lot of blood in the water,” a woman told the operator.
An online fundraiser for Stewart’s family has raised more than $558,000 since the June attack. On Sunday, she announced the family had chosen to close the fundraiser as she thanked donors for their generosity.
“I want to say the biggest thank you for looking after me, for caring for my family, and for being generous enough to help my family through this. I am constantly overwhelmed at how supportive people I know, and even strangers, have been, and how much they’ve cared about my family to make such an impact on our lives,” she wrote in a post on the fundraising page.
“I’m so happy that I’ve progressed enough to build some independence, and I can finally see some light after all of this. At this point, I think it’s appropriate for us to turn off donations on the [fundraiser] because what you’ve offered has given us enough to recover, to stay in our home, and to give us options for further medical treatment down the road.”
The attack sparked fierce debate in NSW over beach safety and prompted NSW Premier Chris Minns to announce boosted funding for shark surveillance.
The interview will air on Nine’s 60 Minutes this Sunday, August 30.
Emily Kaine is a national news blogger at The Sydney Morning Herald.Connect via email.From our partners
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