An Australian woman who survived a shark attack has described her injuries and the treatment she has endured since, according to 7NEWS.com.au.
Leah Stewart, 34, was swimming between the flags at Coogee Beach in Sydney on June 13 when a great white shark attacked her. Lifeguards and bystanders on the beach pulled her from the water and gave her first aid.
Stewart lost a large amount of blood and suffered multiple fractures in the attack. She also lost her arm.
Three months on, Stewart is still being treated. She has an open wound on her leg that has not healed and is due to undergo a second skin graft.
Living with a wound vacuum device
Stewart said she has spent the entire period wearing a portable negative-pressure wound therapy device, which draws the edges of the wound together and removes excess fluid to help it heal. She described the machine as annoying but said it was badly needed.
According to Stewart, the device makes itself known constantly, beeping if it is not charged in time or if air gets into the wound. She said the machine constantly bothers her, but that she is very grateful for it because it helps her healing a great deal.
Coogee Beach and shark encounters
Coogee Beach is a popular swimming spot in eastern Sydney that, like many beaches along the Australian coast, sits in waters where great white sharks are occasionally sighted. The species is one of the largest predatory fish in the ocean and is known for rare but sometimes serious encounters with swimmers and surfers.
Another recent shark attack
The report also referred back to an earlier case in the United States, where a 71-year-old lifeguard, Greg Wilfert, survived an attack by a white shark at Scarborough State Beach. The shark grabbed him by a rescue buoy slung over his shoulder and pulled him down to a depth of about two meters.
No further details on Stewart's recovery timeline or the date of her upcoming skin graft were given.
