A teacher who survived a great white shark attack has revealed what was going through her mind when she came face to face with the ‘monster’ and how she fought back.
Leah Stewart, 34, was left fighting for her life after she was attacked while swimming between the flags at Coogee Beach on June 13.
She was in a coma for two weeks and underwent multiple operations, including the amputation of one of her arms.
The mother of one will appear in a wide-ranging interview with 60 Minutes on Sunday, marking her first interview since the ordeal two months ago.
“It got to the point where it was about a foot away from my face and it started opening its mouth,” she said in a promotional video published by Nine news on Friday.
“I’m like, ‘It’s going to grab my face, it’s going to bite my face’… I’m like, ‘I gotta try to hit it. I gotta try to push it away or it’s going to bite my head off.’
‘And at that moment I thought, “Well, what limb am I willing to lose?” I’m right-handed. So I decided, let’s do a left hook.’
In an earlier clip, Ms Stewart was seen crying as she described her survival instincts kicking into action for the sake of her one-year-old daughter August.
Shark attack survivor Leah Stewart (pictured) has spoken out about her ordeal ahead of her first sit-down interview since the attack
Ms Stewart was in a coma for two weeks and underwent several operations, including the amputation of one of her arms
The attack took place at Coogee Beach on June 13
‘His face was horrible – I’ll never forget it. It was a monster. It trapped my leg,” Ms Stewart told host Tracy Grimshaw.
‘All I thought about was August and I thought, ‘She’s not going to have a mother.’
“I just thought, ‘I have to fight it and do everything I can to be here.’
The interview will also include the Triple Zero call made immediately after the attack.
“Hi, we’ve had a shark attack at Coogee Beach… There’s a lot of blood,” a female beachgoer told the operator.
The interview comes after Ms Stewart shared a heartfelt message about her recovery in a GoFundMe campaign that has raised more than $558,000.
“I just want to thank you so much for caring for me, for caring for my family and for being generous enough to help my family through this,” she said.
“I am constantly overwhelmed by how supportive people I know, and even strangers, have been and how much they have cared for my family to have such an impact on our lives.
Mrs Stewart said her survival instincts kicked in as she fought to stay alive for her one-year-old daughter
‘After what has been an incredibly difficult few months, I’m so happy that I’ve made enough progress to build some independence, and after all this I’m finally seeing some light.’
The money raised will enable Mrs Stewart and her family to continue living in their home and explore further medical treatment options in the future.
“I have actively tried to do everything I can to live a normal life again,” she said.
‘I still have a long way to go, but my recovery has been remarkable, and a large part of that is due to the absolute army of love, support, prayers and encouragement that surrounds my family and me from all over the world.
“That means more to me than I can say, and I truly believe it played a huge role in my recovery.”
Mrs Stewart has vowed not to waste the second chance at life she has been given.
“As I get better, I know I will make something of this second chance and strive to give back even more through generosity, care and love.
“I will be forever grateful for everything and everyone that has been given to me. You have inspired me to be better, not bitter.”
