Sydney shark attack victim says first words after briefly waking up from coma

A 34-year-old woman who was attacked by a shark more than a week ago at a popular beach in Sydney has briefly woken up from an induced coma, her family has said in an update.

Leah Stewart sustained life-threatening injuries after she was attacked while swimming close to the shore on Coogee Beach on June 13.

She has been on life support and had multiple surgeries since the attack, including having her arm amputated.

In an update, her brother, Joshua, has shared Leah’s first words after doctors reduced her level of sedation to allow her to briefly wake up.

Leah Stewart and her one-year-old daughter, August. / Credit: Joshua Stewart / GoFundMe

Leah’s first words were “I love you”, which she said to her mum and partner, who have “been by her side in ICU since the incident”, Joshua said.

Posting on their GoFundMe page, he added: “Her first thoughts were with her daughter August and wanted to check she was OK.

“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 said Leah remains in the intensive care unit and has undergone five days of surgery since the attack, with more surgeries to come.

He continued: “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.”

Shark attacks in Australia have become more common over recent decades as the population has grown and activities such as surfing and scuba diving have gained popularity.

There have already been several shark attack fatalities in Australia this year.

Three spearfishing divers have been killed by sharks off the Australian coast since May 16, bringing the total of fatalities in the nation this year to four.

In January, a 12-year-old boy died in a hospital days after he was mauled by a bull shark in Sydney Harbor.

Australia has averaged between two and three fatal shark attacks a year since 2000, according to the Australian Shark Incident Database, a partnership of the Taronga Conservation Society Australia, Flinders University and the New South Wales state government.

Last year, Australia recorded five fatal shark attacks.