Radio hosts claim shark attack survivor was embellishing her incredible tale of fighting off a great white: ‘Putting a lot of mayo on it’
Melbourne radio presenters Fifi Box, Brendan Fevola and Nick Cody have publicly questioned the account given by Leah Stewart, the 35-year-old survivor of a shark attack at Sydney's Coogee Beach, suggesting she embellished details in a televised interview. Ms Stewart lost her left arm after being attacked by a great white shark on 13 June, and spoke to 60 Minutes about recalling specific thoughts, such as choosing which arm to punch the shark with, during the ordeal. The hosts, particularly Fevola, argued it was implausible she would have had time to think so clearly while being mauled, sparking a debate about the credibility of her testimony.
Ms Stewart, a teacher and mother, was swimming between the flags close to shore when she was attacked by the four-metre shark, the first such attack at the beach in over a century. She was rescued by paddleboarder Charlie Verco and treated by off-duty medical staff on the beach before being placed in a coma for ten days; she suffered no cognitive damage but required amputation of her left arm and sustained significant injuries to her leg and right arm. Co-host Fifi Box partially defended Ms Stewart, noting that experts on extreme-stress situations, such as surfer Mick Fanning, have described reflexive rather than deliberate reactions, while neuroscience research suggests perceived time can genuinely slow down during life-threatening events.
- Radio hosts accused shark attack survivor Leah Stewart of exaggerating her story.
- Stewart lost her left arm in a June Coogee Beach shark attack.
- Debate centres on whether victims can consciously think during such attacks.
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Leah Stewart is a 35-year-old teacher and mother who survived a great white shark attack at Coogee Beach in Sydney on 13 June, the first such attack there in more than a hundred years. She lost her left arm and suffered serious injuries to her leg and other arm, spending ten days in a coma before recovering with no cognitive damage. She was rescued by a paddleboarder and later spoke publicly about the ordeal, including in a televised interview with the Australian programme 60 Minutes.
The current controversy stems from that interview, in which Ms Stewart described very specific thoughts she had during the attack, such as deciding which arm to use to punch the shark. Melbourne radio hosts Fifi Box, Brendan Fevola and Nick Cody discussed her account on air, with some questioning whether it was plausible for her to have thought so clearly while being attacked, while others pointed to research and testimony from other survivors suggesting time can feel distorted in life-threatening moments.
The story matters because it touches on how survivors of traumatic events are believed and treated in the media, and on broader questions about memory and perception under extreme stress. It has sparked wider public debate about the credibility of first-hand accounts of trauma, beyond just the specifics of this shark attack.