Young mother Leah Stewart identified as Coogee shark attack victim

The family of a young mum critically injured after being mauled by a shark off Sydney’s Coogee Beach has provided an update on her condition.

A woman critically injured after being attacked by a shark off Coogee Beach on Saturday has had her arm amputated as she continues to recover in hospital.

Leah Stewart, 35, was mauled by what is believed to have been a 3.5m great white shark.

She remains in a critical but stable condition at St Vincent’s Hospital.

Beaches in Sydney’s eastern suburbs reopened on Monday morning, two days after the attack.

“Leah Stewart is a dedicated and loving mother, a passionate teacher and Coogee local,” her family said in a statement, released through St Vincent’s Hospital.

“As a family we are shocked and devastated that this could happen to our beloved partner, daughter, and mother who is so full of life and energy.”

Leah Stewart was attacked by a great white shark at Coogee Beach. Picture: Facebook

The beach is patrolled less than most other Sydney beaches because of the flight path directly overhead. Picture: NewsWire / Damian Shaw
A GoFundMe has been launched to support Leah in her recovery and allow her to care for her one-year-old daughter in the coming years.

Josh Stewart, Leah’s brother, said the family was “shocked and devastated” to find out this had happened.

“Tragically her treatment has required the amputation of her arm, and more surgeries are scheduled for the coming days,” Mr Stewart wrote in the GoFundMe.

“Leah faces a long road to recovery and your support will make a huge difference in her quality of life, rehabilitation and ability to go back to being a mum to her much loved one year old daughter.”

“Our sincere thanks to the lifesavers, first responders, helicopter crew, and to the dedicated medical team at St. Vincents who have been caring for Leah and our thanks to all who have reached out to the family with sympathy, care and prayer.

“Any contribution, no matter the size will be deeply appreciated as it will help support Leah, her partner and daughter through this heartbreaking situation.

Support for drone surveillance

Meanwhile, the brother of a surfer who was killed by a shark last year is supporting widespread drone usage on Sydney beaches following the attack.

Mike Psillakis lost his twin brother Mercury in September 2025 when he was fatally attacked by a shark while surfing near Dee Why.

The 57-year-old surfboard shaper from Sydney’s northern beaches told the Today show on Monday morning that drones were the “way to go” when it came to protecting beachgoers.

“Everyone’s really concerned regarding this situation, and I think we can take steps to minimise the interactions between sharks and humans,” Mr Psillakis said.

“I think AI drones are the way to go. My brother, and the attack on Saturday, could have been prevented by drones.”

Mr Psillakis said losing access to Sydney beaches would equate to a loss of “identity” and “culture” and also expressed concern for local tourism should Australians not be able to safely access beaches across the country.

His views are supported by Leonardo Guida, who has worked in marine conservation and sustainability for more than a decade.

Dr Guida told NewsWire there would be “no silver bullet” when it came to shark management, but advancements in drone and AI technology could be “really useful” in harm minimisation.

Mercury Psillakis (left) with twin brother Mike. Mercury was killed in a fatal shark attack at Dee Why Beach in 2025. Picture: Instagram

Leonardo Guida has worked in marine science for more than a decade. Picture: Supplied
“Drone technology is really useful in environmental conditions where the water is relatively clear and you do get a quite clear visual of the species,” he said.

“There’s currently research being conducted into AI which can allow drones to automatically detect what species is swimming in the water based on its size and shape and the way it moves.

“When combined with weather patterns and shark movement, all of these factors could be used to develop some kind of alert system or predictive model.”

Dr Guida said advocacy for culling, which has exploded in the wake of the Coogee attack, was factually flawed.

“Culling has been around for nearly 100 years as a state-sanctioned program, and it is, by all measures, ineffective,” he said.

Dr Guida said there was no evidence to justify culling practices. Picture: supplied
“When it comes to sharks, the knee-jerk reaction is to take an eye for an eye. We assume if there’s less of them, there’s less chance of a bite. Unfortunately, that’s not the reality of it.

“Basically, the ocean is working as it should and the more people are aware of this, the better informed we can gauge the risks we’re willing to take when we go into the water.”

Surf Life Saving NSW chief executive Steven Pearce told Sunrise most patrolled beaches along the NSW coast were also monitored by drone pilots during the summer months, but patrols in winter months are “scaled back” significantly.

“During the summer, we do around 80 locations up and down the coastline, but that’s scaled right back in winter because we just don’t see the population and visitation down at the beaches,” Mr Pearce said.

Surf lifesavers were some of the first on scene to help the woman as she walked into shore covered in wounds. Picture: NewsWire / Damian Shaw

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“We do about 13 beaches up and down the NSW Coast (in the winter).”

Mr Pearce said Surf Life Saving NSW runs more than 100,000 flights every year, but Coogee Beach was one of the only areas with flight restrictions imposed on pilots due to it being within a flight path.

“If we had drones flying there, we would have been able to see a lot of sea creatures … I’m not saying it wouldn’t have happened but I’m saying the water clarity was so great that it would have been quite easy to spot.”