A woman named Leah Stewart was attacked by a shark at Coogee Beach in Sydney on Saturday, 13 June at around 11:15am, NSW Police said. She was pulled out of the water and taken to hospital, where she had several operations. The ABC reported on 15 June that the shark was about three to four metres long.

Two things probably saved her life. Charlie Verco, an off-duty lifeguard who was at the beach, saw her get pulled under and helped pull her back out, according to the Sydney Morning Herald. The lifeguards who were already working at the beach also rushed to help. Because trained rescuers were already there when it happened, they could act fast.

After the attack, Randwick City Council closed all the beaches in the area. Lifeguards on jet skis patrolled the water, and drones flew above to look for the shark. This kind of immediate response has become normal at Sydney beaches after something serious happens.

It's worth noting that just a few months earlier, the council had prepared for emergencies like this. In March 2026, they placed special shark bite first aid kits at Coogee and Maroubra beaches. These kits are there to help people outside normal lifeguard hours. The Saturday attack happened during the day when lifeguards were on duty, so those kits weren't needed this time, but they show the council is thinking ahead about how to respond faster.

Great white sharks are protected by law in Australia, so authorities cannot simply remove them. Instead, beaches use shark nets, observation towers, and drones to try to keep swimmers safe—each method has some drawback for other sea creatures. Sydney beaches focus more on having lifeguards and using technology to spot sharks rather than killing them.

One detail: Coogee is a busy beach, but this attack happened in mid-June, which is winter in Australia. Fewer people swim in cold water, so shark attacks are less common then. This attack was unusual for the time of year, though it doesn't change how the council thinks about beach safety overall.

As of 15 June, Stewart's family was being kept updated as she recovered. The beaches remained closed while authorities made sure the shark was gone.