As Beachgoers Ran From Attack, Widely-Shared Image Captures Beach Patrol Running ‘Pedal to the Metal’ To the Site.
Alexandra Ching, someone who has spent her entire life as resident of Bondi, has always considered the famous beach as her personal space. On a recent Sunday evening, she, like many others in the area, heard loud noises ringing out through the neighbourhood.
“We all thought the same, but I thought it was daylight and no one could see them,” Ching recounts. Exiting her residence, she observed people “streaming up Bondi Road”. Their expressions on display signaled a crisis was unfolding.
As she stood on the avenue, conversing with a duo who had rushed up the incline in their swimwear, she became aware of someone approaching from behind. The person was a beach patrol officer, dashing in the direction of Bondi unshod from the neighbouring Tamarama beach – roughly 1.5km – while transporting a life-saving kit.
“I noticed a person utter ‘excuse me’, and turning my head I only caught a glimpse of this streak in blue,” she recalls. “He was simply racing by. It was just him heading in the opposite way that everyone was trying to escape from, while holding that big kit and barefoot … He was sprinting into something that surely every instinct would tell you to go in the opposite direction.
“Without a second thought, but just fully pedal to the metal sprinting.”
A Powerful Moment of Bravery In the Wake of Chaos
The photograph Ching captured of the lifeguard, later named as Jackson Doolan, rapidly circulated as a prime example of moments of heroism in the following of the tragic event.
Andy Reid, a second beach safety officer, explained that Doolan, called “Jacko”, hurried from Tamarama beach to support the rest of his team at Bondi, as well as to aid other rescuers, officers and ambulance crews treating many victims.
Community Outpouring and Solidarity
Doolan’s account was just one of many to be shared by the community, with the patrol base beside the site of the attack transforming into a makeshift hospital. Accounts show that other team members were also seen helping out, including rushing into the water to save people who were struggling.
In the days after the tragedy, messages of support flooded in. An online statement shared gratitude for the lifeguards who showed that “goodness will always triumph over darkness”.
The squad of rescuers issued a message, saying they were “still trying to comprehend what occurred”.
“We are grateful all for your supportive sentiments and solidarity. We are overwhelmed by the care shown towards our team,” the team stated. “When ready, we will tell our tales in the hope that it supports those affected.”
Official Commendation
Waverley council, the local authority that oversees many permanent lifeguards, stated that the team acted heroically from the moment the shooting commenced until late that evening.
“People have shared so many emotional narratives, but the popular picture of Jackson Doolan, racing from Tamarama to Bondi with a defibrillator so he could help assist the injured is incredible,” stated a mayor.
“These individuals show dedication every day in keeping our internationally renowned coastlines secure for surfers and swimmers, but what we observed on that evening should be highly praised.
“During this time of sorrow and grapple with the atrocity of this heinous act of violence, I think it is crucial that we consider just how much positivity we have witnessed in the midst of such hatred.”