A mother who endured the harrowing ordeal of a shark attack in Australia vividly recounted the chilling moment she was forced to decide “which limb am I willing to lose” while facing the menacing predator.
Leah Stewart, 34, experienced the terrifying encounter just 100 feet from the shoreline at Sydney’s famous Coogee Beach on June 13. The attacker was believed to be a great white shark.
Stewart shared the wrenching experience of realizing she had to make a swift and painful choice to save her life during the horrifying incident.
During an interview with Australia’s 60 Minutes, set to air this Sunday, Stewart recounted the moment the shark was a mere 30 centimeters from her face. “It sort of started opening its mouth,” she described, reliving the tension of her fight for survival.
“I’m like, I’ve got to try and punch it. I’ve got to try and push it away or else it’s going to bite my head off.
“And in that moment I thought, well, which limb am I willing to lose? I’m right-handed. So I decided, let’s do a left hook.”
Stewart, who has a young daughter named August, had to have her left arm amputated.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.