While Beachgoers Fled Attack, Viral Picture Shows Beach Patrol Running ‘All Out’ To the Scene.
Alexandra Ching, a lifelong local of Bondi, describes the famous coast as her back yard. On that fateful Sunday evening, she, like many local residents, heard pops echoing around the community.
“Everyone did, but I thought it was too light and there was nothing visible,” Ching recounts. Exiting her home, she observed people “pouring up Bondi Road”. The looks they wore made it clear trouble had occurred.
While standing on the street, talking to a couple who had run up the hill soaked, she heard someone moving up behind her. It was a lifeguard, running at full speed in the direction of Bondi barefoot from the nearby Tamarama beach – a distance of 1.5km – while holding a medical device.
“I heard someone say ‘excuse me’, and as I turned I just saw this streak in blue,” Ching describes. “He was zooming past. It was just him running in the direction that all the others was trying to escape from, carrying that big kit and unshod … He’s running at something that certainly every instinct would tell you to run in the other direction.
“Just no hesitation, but just fully pedal to the metal sprinting.”
An Iconic Image of Courage Amidst Tragedy
The photograph that Ching snapped of the rescuer, now known to be Jackson Doolan, rapidly circulated as one of many instances of courage in the following of the tragic event.
Andy Reid, a fellow lifeguard, says that Doolan, known as “Jacko”, hurried from Tamarama beach to assist the other members at Bondi, as well as to help other rescuers, police and ambulance crews attending to dozens of victims.
Local Outpouring and Support
Doolan’s account was a single example among several to come out of the local area, with the lifeguard clubhouse next to the scene of the violence becoming a temporary medical station. Reports indicate that other team members were also seen responding bravely, for instance rushing into the water to save people in distress.
In the days after the tragedy, statements of support were shared. An online statement expressed appreciation for the responders who demonstrated that “compassion will always conquer darkness”.
The team of rescuers published a statement, explaining they were “still trying to comprehend what occurred”.
“Thank you all for your supportive words and solidarity. We are overwhelmed by the compassion for our responders,” the team stated. “When ready, we will share our stories in the aim that it aids those affected.”
Local Government Recognition
Waverley council, the administrative organization that hires many professional beach safety officers, stated that the team rose to the occasion from the instant the violence began through to late that nighttime.
“There have been so many emotional accounts, but the popular picture of Jackson Doolan, sprinting from Tamarama to Bondi with a AED so he could help preserve life is extraordinary,” said a council representative.
“Our lifeguards demonstrate selflessness every day in maintaining the safety of our world-famous shores protected for surfers and swimmers, but what we saw on that evening should be highly praised.
“During this time of sorrow and process the terror of this violent and horrific act of violence, I think it is important that we consider just how much light we have witnessed in the face of such darkness.”