Thousands swim at Coogee Beach for shark attack victim

Thousands of people gathered at Coogee Beach in Sydney on Sunday for a community swim to honor and raise funds for Leah Stewart, a local woman who remains in critical condition after a shark attack one week earlier. The event, organized by the Randwick City Council and the Coogee Surf Life Saving Club, drew swimmers, surfers, and paddleboarders back into the water in a powerful show of support for Stewart, her family, and a community shaken by the traumatic incident.

Stewart, a 35-year-old mother and deputy principal at Hurstville Adventist School, was attacked by a suspected great white shark on June 13 while swimming between the flags. She suffered bites to her arms and legs, significant blood loss, and fractures. An off-duty volunteer lifeguard, paddleboard world champion Charlie Verco, helped bring her to shore where lifesavers and the public applied tourniquets, actions credited with saving her life. Stewart has since undergone multiple surgeries, including the amputation of one arm. St Vincent's Hospital, providing an update on behalf of her family, said she remains in a critical but stable condition and faces a long road to recovery, with an extreme risk of infection...