Alexandra Ching, someone who has spent her entire life as local of Bondi, has always considered the renowned coast as her own backyard. On a recent weekend evening, she, along with numerous local residents, detected cracking sounds reverberating through the neighbourhood.
“That was the initial assumption, but I reasoned it was still too bright and there was nothing visible,” Ching states. She left her residence, she witnessed people “pouring up Bondi Road”. The looks they wore signaled trouble had occurred.
While standing on the avenue, speaking to a couple who had rushed up the incline soaked, she heard someone approaching behind her. This turned out to be a lifeguard, sprinting towards Bondi barefoot from the neighbouring Tamarama beach – roughly 1.5km – while carrying a life-saving kit.
“I heard someone say ‘excuse me’, and as I turned I only caught a glimpse of this streak in blue,” she recounts. “He was just flying past. He was alone moving in the opposite way that everyone was trying to escape from, and hauling that sizeable pack and barefoot … He moved at something that undoubtedly every part of you would instruct you to go in the reverse way.
“Without a second thought, but just completely pedal to the metal racing.”
An Iconic Image of Courage In the Wake of Tragedy
The photograph taken by Ching of the rescuer, now known to be Jackson Doolan, was widely shared as among numerous instances of valour in the following of the tragic event.
Andy Reid, another beach safety officer, explained that Doolan, called “Jacko”, sprinted from Tamarama beach to back up the rest of his team at Bondi, as well as to work with emergency personnel, law enforcement and paramedics attending to dozens of victims.
Collective Reaction and Support
Doolan’s actions was just one of many to be shared by the local area, with the patrol base beside the scene of the violence transforming into a impromptu hospital. Accounts show that fellow lifeguards were also seen responding bravely, including rushing into the surf to rescue people who were struggling.
In the days after the events, comments of support were shared. One post expressed gratitude for the lifeguards who demonstrated that “kindness will always triumph over hatred”.
The squad of beach patrol issued a statement, explaining they were “still trying to comprehend what occurred”.
“Thank you all for your kind messages and support. We are overwhelmed by the compassion directed at our team,” the group commented. “In time, we will recount our experiences in the aim that it aids those involved.”
Local Government Recognition
Waverley council, the administrative organization that hires many full-time beach safety officers, remarked that the staff acted heroically from the moment the incident began through to late that nighttime.
“There have been so many powerful accounts, but the widely-circulated photo of Jackson Doolan, running from Tamarama to Bondi with a defibrillator so he could help save lives is incredible,” said a mayor.
“The team show selflessness every day in keeping our world-famous beaches safe for visitors, but what we witnessed on that day should be commended.
“During this time of sorrow and grapple with the horror of this brutal and barbaric tragedy, I think it is important that we reflect on just how much light we have seen in the presence of such hatred.”
