While Swimmers Ran From Attack, Popular Photo Depicts Beach Patrol Dashing ‘Pedal to the Metal’ In the Direction of the Location.

Alexandra Ching, someone who has spent her entire life as inhabitant of Bondi, describes the famous beach as her own backyard. On a recent Sunday evening, she, along with numerous others in the area, heard pops reverberating around the community.

“We all thought the same, but I thought it was still too bright and you couldn't spot any lights,” Ching states. She left her home, she saw people “pouring up Bondi Road”. The looks they wore told her a crisis was unfolding.

While standing on the road, talking to a couple who had hurried up the incline still dripping wet, she became aware of someone coming up from behind. The person was a lifeguard, sprinting in the direction of Bondi without shoes from the adjacent Tamarama beach – about 1.5km – while transporting a medical device.

“I noticed a person utter ‘excuse me’, and as I turned I only caught a glimpse of this blur of blue,” she recalls. “He was simply racing by. He was alone running in the opposite way that the crowd was trying to escape from, carrying that large equipment and unshod … He’s running at something that certainly every part of you would tell you to run in the other direction.

“Just no hesitation, but just completely full throttle sprinting.”

A Powerful Moment of Bravery During Crisis

The image that Ching snapped of the lifeguard, now known to be Jackson Doolan, quickly spread as a prime example of acts of valour in the wake of the violent incident.

Andy Reid, another lifeguard, explained that Doolan, known as “Jacko”, sprinted from Tamarama beach to assist the remaining crew at Bondi, as well as to work with surf lifesavers, police and ambulance crews treating many those hurt.

Local Response and Support

Doolan’s actions was a single example among several to emerge from the local area, with the patrol base beside the location of the incident becoming a impromptu hospital. It was shared that fellow lifeguards were also seen helping out, including rushing into the ocean to rescue people who were struggling.

In the days after the attack, statements of appreciation flooded in. A social media message shared gratitude for the responders who demonstrated that “goodness will always conquer darkness”.

The team of lifeguards later shared a message, explaining they were “still trying to comprehend what transpired”.

“We are grateful all for your thoughtful words and solidarity. We are overwhelmed by the care shown towards our team,” the group wrote. “In time, we will share our stories in the belief that it aids those affected.”

Council Praise

Waverley council, the administrative organization that hires many full-time beach safety officers, said that the crew acted heroically from the moment the violence commenced through to late that night.

“We have heard so many powerful narratives, but the popular image of Jackson Doolan, racing from Tamarama to Bondi with a medical device so he could help assist the injured is incredible,” stated a local official.

“These individuals exhibit dedication every day in keeping our iconic shores safe for the public, but what we saw on that evening should be celebrated.

“While we mourn and come to terms with the terror of this heinous tragedy, I think it is important that we consider just how much positivity we have observed in the presence of such darkness.”