As Sunbathers Fled Attack, Popular Image Shows Beach Patrol Sprinting ‘Full Speed’ To the Scene.
Alexandra Ching, a permanent resident of Bondi, describes the famous coast as her own backyard. On that fateful Sunday evening, she, like many neighbors, noticed pops echoing through the community.
“Everyone did, but I considered it was daylight and you couldn't spot any lights,” Ching states. Exiting her apartment, she saw people “pouring up Bondi Road”. The looks she saw told her trouble had occurred.
As she stood on the avenue, speaking to a pair who had run up the incline still dripping wet, she heard someone moving up behind her. It was a lifeguard, dashing in the direction of Bondi without shoes from the nearby Tamarama beach – roughly 1.5km – while carrying a life-saving kit.
“I caught a voice saying ‘excuse me’, and as I turned I just saw this streak in blue,” she recalls. “He was simply racing by. He was alone moving in the path that everyone was trying to escape from, and hauling that large equipment and without footwear … He was sprinting into something that certainly every part of you would signal you to run in the reverse way.
“Without a second thought, but just totally maximum effort running.”
A Powerful Moment of Bravery Amidst Crisis
The image that Ching snapped of the rescuer, now known to be Jackson Doolan, rapidly circulated as one of many instances of valour in the wake of the violent incident.
Andy Reid, a fellow lifeguard, says that Doolan, called “Jacko”, ran from Tamarama beach to assist the remaining crew at Bondi, as well as to aid surf lifesavers, police and paramedics caring for numerous victims.
Community Reaction and Support
Doolan’s story was a single example among several to come out of the community, with the lifeguard clubhouse adjacent to the site of the incident serving as a impromptu hospital. Reports indicate that colleagues were also seen responding bravely, for instance entering the water to save people needing help.
In the days after the events, comments of support circulated widely. An online statement shared gratitude for the lifeguards who exhibited that “kindness will always triumph over hatred”.
The squad of lifeguards issued a statement, explaining they were “processing what occurred”.
“We are grateful all for your kind sentiments and encouragement. We are overwhelmed by the compassion shown towards our personnel,” the team commented. “In time, we will tell our tales in the belief that it supports those impacted.”
Official Recognition
Waverley council, the local authority that employs many permanent beach safety officers, said that the team performed exceptionally from the moment the violence started through to late that night.
“We have heard so many moving accounts, but the viral picture of Jackson Doolan, running from Tamarama to Bondi with a defibrillator so he could help assist the injured is extraordinary,” commented a council representative.
“Our lifeguards demonstrate altruism every day in keeping our world-famous shores secure for surfers and swimmers, but what we saw on Sunday should be commended.
“As we grieve and come to terms with the horror of this violent and horrific act of violence, I think it is important that we reflect on just how much light we have witnessed in the face of such darkness.”
