When Swimmers Fled Attack, Popular Image Shows Lifeguard Sprinting ‘Full Speed’ To the Site.
Alexandra Ching, a lifelong resident of Bondi, has always considered the renowned shoreline as her personal space. On that particular weekend evening, she, like many local residents, noticed pops reverberating through the neighbourhood.
“We all thought the same, but I thought it was too light and no one could see them,” Ching recounts. Exiting her apartment, she saw people “streaming up Bondi Road”. The faces on display told her trouble had occurred.
Positioned on the avenue, conversing with a pair who had run up the incline in their swimwear, she became aware of someone coming up at her rear. The person was a beach patrol officer, sprinting towards Bondi barefoot from the neighbouring Tamarama beach – a distance of 1.5km – while carrying a medical device.
“I noticed a person utter ‘excuse me’, and as I turned I spotted this streak in blue,” she recounts. “He was simply racing by. He was alone running in the direction that everyone was trying to escape from, carrying that large equipment and unshod … He moved at something that undoubtedly every instinct would signal you to go in the reverse way.
“Absolutely no pause, but just completely pedal to the metal running.”
A Powerful Moment of Courage In the Wake of Tragedy
The image that Ching snapped of the lifeguard, now known to be Jackson Doolan, quickly spread as a prime example of instances of heroism in the wake of the tragic event.
Andy Reid, another lifeguard, says that Doolan, referred to as “Jacko”, hurried from Tamarama beach to support the other members at Bondi, as well as to work with emergency personnel, law enforcement and medical teams attending to numerous victims.
Local Response and Solidarity
Doolan’s story was part of a broader narrative to come out of the community, with the lifeguard clubhouse adjacent to the location of the violence serving as a impromptu treatment center. Reports indicate that fellow lifeguards were also seen helping out, including entering the surf to assist people who were struggling.
Following the events, statements of support circulated widely. One post shared gratitude for the responders who showed that “goodness will always overcome hatred”.
The group of lifeguards published a message, explaining they were “coming to terms with what transpired”.
“We are grateful all for your supportive sentiments and encouragement. We are deeply moved by the care directed at our responders,” the group commented. “Eventually, we will tell our tales in the hope that it aids those impacted.”
Local Government Praise
Waverley council, the governing body that oversees many full-time lifeguards, stated that the staff acted heroically from the instant the shooting commenced until late that evening.
“There have been so many emotional accounts, but the widely-circulated photo of Jackson Doolan, sprinting from Tamarama to Bondi with a AED so he could help assist the injured is extraordinary,” said a mayor.
“These individuals demonstrate altruism every day in maintaining the safety of our world-famous shores secure for the public, but what we saw on Sunday should be highly praised.
“As we grieve and grapple with the horror of this violent and horrific tragedy, I think it is vital that we consider just how much light we have observed in the midst of such hatred.”
