When Sunbathers Escaped Violence, Popular Photo Captures Lifeguard Dashing ‘Pedal to the Metal’ To the Location.
Alexandra Ching, a lifelong resident of Bondi, describes the iconic coast as her personal space. On that particular weekend night, she, similar to other local residents, detected cracking sounds ringing out across the suburb.
“We all thought the same, but I thought it was too light and there was nothing visible,” Ching recounts. She left her apartment, she witnessed people “streaming up Bondi Road”. The faces they wore told her a crisis was unfolding.
Positioned on the street, conversing with a couple who had hurried up the slope soaked, she became aware of someone coming up from behind. It was a rescuer, sprinting towards Bondi unshod from the nearby Tamarama beach – about 1.5km – while holding a life-saving kit.
“I noticed a person utter ‘excuse me’, and as I turned I just saw this streak in blue,” she recounts. “He was just flying past. He was alone heading in the direction that everyone was trying to flee, and hauling that sizeable pack and barefoot … He was sprinting towards something that surely every fibre in your being would instruct you to run in the reverse way.
“Just no hesitation, but just totally maximum effort racing.”
A Powerful Moment of Heroism During Tragedy
The photograph that Ching snapped of the lifeguard, later named as Jackson Doolan, rapidly circulated as a prime example of moments of valour in the following of the violent incident.
Andy Reid, another beach safety officer, explained that Doolan, called “Jacko”, sprinted from Tamarama beach to assist the remaining crew at Bondi, as well as to aid emergency personnel, law enforcement and ambulance crews attending to numerous victims.
Local Reaction and Support
Doolan’s account was just one of many to come out of the local area, with the patrol base beside the location of the attack transforming into a impromptu medical station. Accounts show that colleagues were also seen helping out, such as entering the water to save people who were struggling.
Following the tragedy, messages of gratitude were shared. One post expressed gratitude for the individuals who showed that “kindness will always overcome hatred”.
The squad of lifeguards issued a statement, saying they were “processing what occurred”.
“Our thanks go out to all for your supportive words and solidarity. We are deeply moved by the care directed at our team,” the team stated. “Eventually, we will share our stories in the belief that it aids those affected.”
Council Recognition
Waverley council, the administrative organization that hires many full-time beach safety officers, remarked that the crew acted heroically from the second the incident started right into late that nighttime.
“We have heard so many moving accounts, but the widely-circulated photo of Jackson Doolan, sprinting from Tamarama to Bondi with a defibrillator so he could help assist the injured is extraordinary,” said a council representative.
“The team exhibit altruism every day in maintaining the safety of our internationally renowned beaches protected for visitors, but what we saw on Sunday should be highly praised.
“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 focus on just how much good we have witnessed in the face of such hatred.”