Australian teacher Leah Stewart has described fighting a great white shark during an attack at Coogee Beach, saying she chose to strike it with her left hand to protect her face. The attack left the 34-year-old mother of one in a coma for two weeks and resulted in the amputation of an arm, highlighting the severity of the incident and her long recovery.

Stewart was swimming between the flags on 13 June when the shark approached within about 30cm of her face and held onto her leg. She said thoughts of her one-year-old daughter, August, drove her to fight back; an upcoming 60 Minutes interview will include the emergency call made after the attack. A fundraising appeal has raised more than $558,000 to help her family remain in their home and consider further treatment.