Woman has arm amputated after Coogee shark attack, ‘devastated’ family say

The woman injured in Saturday’s shark attack at Coogee beach has had her arm amputated and remains in a critical condition, her family has revealed.

Leah Stewart, a 35-year-old schoolteacher, mother and dedicated ocean swimmer, was attacked by a suspected 3.5-metre great white shark at about 11am on Saturday. Authorities have said she was swimming between the flags and “doing everything right” at the time of the attack.

Her brother Joshua Stewart has launched a public appeal, detailing the extent of her injuries and confirming that she remains on life support at St Vincent’s Hospital.

“Leah was attacked by a shark and has sustained severe and life-threatening injuries with multiple bites across her arms and legs, lacerations and fractures throughout her body, and extreme blood loss,” Stewart said on the Gofundme page launched on Monday afternoon.

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

Stewart described his sister as a devoted mother to her one-year-old daughter.

“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.”

The family extended their gratitude to elite paddleboarder Charlie Verco, who grabbed hold of Stewart and pulled her onto his board. They also thanked the surf lifesavers, CareFlight helicopter crew, and medical teams who kept her alive.

“We ask that the media and members of the public please respect our need for privacy at this time as we focus on supporting Leah through her care and recovery, as well as her daughter and partner, as we navigate the challenges ahead,” a separate statement, issued by the victim’s family via St Vincent’s Hospital, said.

The horrific incident has reignited a fierce political debate over beach safety in NSW.

Former prime minister Tony Abbott entered the fray on Monday, posting a video to social media demanding a cull of the predators.

“It’s so wrong that we don’t cull sharks after attacks,” Abbott said. “It’s so wrong we don’t put people before sharks.”

Emeritus Prof Rob Harcourt, who leads the marine predator research group at Macquarie University, said a cull of sharks would make no difference to the risk of shark attacks at beaches.

“Tony Abbott doesn’t understand risk, he does not understand climate change, and he doesn’t understand the science when he calls for a cull,” Harcourt told Guardian Australia.

New South Wales agriculture minister Tara Moriarty initially refused to rule out a cull on Sunday but premier Chris Minns shut down the proposal on Monday afternoon, on the grounds that great whites are a protected species.

“We’re not going to be contemplating a cull. I’m not convinced it would work,” he said.

The state government has authorised a temporary Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) exemption to allow continuous, low-orbiting AI drone surveillance directly over Coogee beach for the remainder of the week to monitor any further shark movement.