As Sunbathers Escaped Violence, Widely-Shared Picture Depicts Beach Patrol Dashing ‘Pedal to the Metal’ Towards the Site.
Alexandra Ching, a lifelong inhabitant of Bondi, has always considered the renowned coast as her own backyard. On that particular weekend night, she, similar to other neighbors, noticed pops ringing out through the neighbourhood.
“Everyone did, but I thought it was too light and you couldn't spot any lights,” she explains. She left her home, she witnessed people “streaming up Bondi Road”. The faces they wore signaled trouble had occurred.
Positioned on the road, talking to a couple who had run up the hill in their swimwear, she noticed someone approaching behind her. This turned out to be a beach patrol officer, running at full speed in the direction of Bondi unshod from the neighbouring Tamarama beach – roughly 1.5km – while transporting a medical device.
“I noticed a person utter ‘excuse me’, and turning my head I only caught a glimpse of this blur of blue,” she recounts. “He was zooming past. He was the only one moving in the opposite way that the crowd was trying to escape from, and hauling that sizeable pack and without footwear … He moved at something that surely every instinct would signal you to go in the other direction.
“Just no hesitation, but just totally pedal to the metal running.”
A Powerful Moment of Bravery During Chaos
The photo taken by Ching of the lifeguard, now known to be Jackson Doolan, rapidly circulated as one of many acts of heroism in the wake of the tragic event.
Andy Reid, a fellow lifeguard, noted that Doolan, called “Jacko”, hurried from Tamarama beach to back up the rest of his team at Bondi, as well as to aid surf lifesavers, law enforcement and paramedics caring for dozens of victims.
Collective Outpouring and Solidarity
Doolan’s story was part of a broader narrative to be shared by the community, with the beach facility adjacent to the site of the attack serving as a temporary treatment center. Accounts show that fellow lifeguards were also seen helping out, such as entering the water to assist people needing help.
After the attack, statements of gratitude flooded in. A social media message expressed gratitude for the responders who demonstrated that “compassion will always triumph over darkness”.
The team of rescuers issued a message, saying they were “still trying to comprehend what transpired”.
“Thank you all for your kind sentiments and support. We are deeply moved by the kindness directed at our personnel,” the team wrote. “In time, we will recount our experiences in the aim that it aids those impacted.”
Local Government Commendation
Waverley council, the administrative organization that employs many full-time lifeguards, said that the staff acted heroically from the second the shooting began until late that night.
“There have been so many powerful narratives, but the popular picture of Jackson Doolan, sprinting from Tamarama to Bondi with a medical device so he could help save lives is remarkable,” commented a local official.
“The team show altruism every day in maintaining the safety of our iconic shores secure for the public, but what we observed on that evening should be highly praised.
“During this time of sorrow and process the horror of this violent and horrific tragedy, I think it is crucial that we reflect on just how much good we have observed in the face of such hatred.”
