Sydney shark victim briefly wakes from coma, says 'I love you' to family – National
A 34-year-old Australian woman who was seriously injured in a suspected shark attack in Sydney earlier this month woke up from a medically induced coma this week after multiple surgeries, her family said.
Leah Stewart, a teacher and mother of a one-year-old child, was rushed to hospital in critical condition on June 13 after being injured in a shark attack, police said in a statement.
According to a message posted on a GoFundMe page set up by Stewart's brother, Josh, he suffered multiple injuries to his arms and legs, resulting in severe bleeding, multiple broken bones and the amputation of his arm.
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Stewart has undergone five surgeries since the attack and is scheduled to undergo another surgery, according to his brother.
After more than a week in a medically induced coma, doctors were able to briefly induce Stewart to wake up and tell his family, including his mother and co-workers, “I love you,” Josh wrote in an update Tuesday, adding that he also asked if his one-year-old daughter, August, was okay.
“This is faster than anyone expected, and to us this feels like a miracle and everything many of us have been hoping and praying for this past week,” his brother wrote.
“Leah remains in the ICU and will continue to require this high level of care and support for some time. She underwent five days of surgery last week, and is scheduled for more surgery today and more in the coming weeks,” the statement continued.
Stewart was swimming near the shore when he was pulled from the water by members of the public providing first aid before emergency services arrived, according to police.
Volunteer lifeguard Charlie Verco was riding nearby and was among those who helped bring Stewart to shore, according to Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) reports.
Almost AU$500,000 has been raised to support Leah Stewart and her family.
Since the incident, New South Wales Premier Chris Minns has dismissed the possibility of white sharks being killed, but not bull sharks, the ABC said.
“They are not protected animals and we are currently counting their heads [to see] that there would have been an increase in the harbor due to a healthy harbor and more fish in that harbor [and] what does it mean to swim and recreate,” he said at a press conference on Monday.
“But a bunch of great whites is not going to be the answer to this and we're not thinking about that.”
In January, Sydney and many other beaches along Australia's east coast were closed after four people were attacked by sharks in two days.
Over the past 10 years, Australia has seen, on average, 27 shark incidents each year in which people are injured, less than three of which result in death, according to data from the Australian Shark Incident Database.
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