The New South Wales state government launched a $34 million initiative on July 1 to deploy drones for shark surveillance across 38 of Sydney's ocean beaches. ^[1] Leah Stewart, a 34-year-old primary school teacher, was attacked by a four-meter great white shark while swimming at Coogee beach in Sydney. ^[2] Stewart underwent nearly a dozen surgeries and was induced into a coma, resulting in the amputation of her left arm and requiring her to relearn how to walk. ^[3] The shark bit Stewart in her left arm and thigh, dragging her underwater and causing severe injuries before she was rescued by other swimmers. ^[4] Surf Life Saving New South Wales reports more than 750 shark sightings and over 200 intervention actions since the program began on July 1. ^[5] Taha Kafil-Hussain, a 22-year-old drone operator for Surf Life Saving New South Wales, conducts dawn-to-dusk surveillance flights at beaches including Coogee. ^[6] Stewart stated that she punched the shark repeatedly to make it release her, describing the experience as fighting a dinosaur. ^[7] Shark listening stations are currently tracking 1,698 white sharks, 938 tiger sharks, and 374 bull sharks in the region. ^[8]