Alexandra Ching, a lifelong inhabitant of Bondi, describes the iconic shoreline as her back yard. On a recent weekend night, she, along with numerous neighbors, heard pops reverberating around the community.
“That was the initial assumption, but I reasoned it was daylight and there was nothing visible,” Ching recounts. She left her residence, she witnessed people “pouring up Bondi Road”. The looks on display made it clear trouble had occurred.
As she stood on the avenue, speaking to a couple who had run up the incline in their swimwear, she became aware of someone coming up behind her. It was a lifeguard, running at full speed to Bondi unshod from the adjacent Tamarama beach – roughly 1.5km – while carrying a life-saving kit.
“I heard someone say ‘excuse me’, and as I turned I spotted this streak in blue,” she recalls. “He was simply racing by. He was the only one running in the path that all the others was trying to flee, carrying that sizeable pack and barefoot … He’s running into something that undoubtedly every part of you would instruct you to run in the opposite direction.
“Without a second thought, but just completely full throttle running.”
A Symbol of Courage In the Wake of Chaos
The image that Ching snapped of the lifeguard, later named as Jackson Doolan, rapidly circulated as one of many moments of heroism in the wake of the terror attack.
Andy Reid, a second lifeguard, noted that Doolan, called “Jacko”, hurried from Tamarama beach to assist the rest of his team at Bondi, as well as to work with other rescuers, police and paramedics treating dozens of victims.
Community Reaction and Solidarity
Doolan’s account was a single example among several to come out of the neighbourhood, with the patrol base beside the location of the incident becoming a temporary treatment center. Accounts show that other team members were also seen responding bravely, including rushing into the ocean to rescue people who were struggling.
After the tragedy, messages of gratitude flooded in. An online statement expressed thanks for the responders who demonstrated that “compassion will always triumph over hatred”.
The squad of lifeguards issued a statement, saying they were “still trying to comprehend what happened”.
“We are grateful all for your thoughtful messages and encouragement. We are overwhelmed by the care shown towards our personnel,” the group stated. “Eventually, we will recount our experiences in the hope that it aids those affected.”
Council Praise
Waverley council, the administrative organization that employs many professional lifeguards, stated that the staff performed exceptionally from the moment the shooting began through to late that evening.
“We have heard so many emotional accounts, but the widely-circulated photo of Jackson Doolan, racing from Tamarama to Bondi with a medical device so he could help save lives is incredible,” commented a mayor.
“These individuals demonstrate selflessness every day in keeping our world-famous coastlines protected for surfers and swimmers, but what we saw on Sunday should be highly praised.
“As we grieve and process the horror of this violent and horrific act of violence, I think it is crucial that we consider just how much light we have witnessed in the presence of such darkness.”
