As Beachgoers Escaped Violence, Widely-Shared Photo Depicts Beach Patrol Dashing ‘Full Speed’ In the Direction of the Location.
Alexandra Ching, a permanent inhabitant of Bondi, has always considered the famous shoreline as her personal space. On that particular weekend night, she, along with numerous local residents, noticed cracking sounds echoing across the neighbourhood.
“We all thought the same, but I thought it was daylight and no one could see them,” Ching states. She left her apartment, she witnessed people “flooding up Bondi Road”. The faces she saw told her a crisis was unfolding.
As she stood on the road, conversing with a duo who had hurried up the hill still dripping wet, she became aware of someone moving up at her rear. The person was a beach patrol officer, dashing to Bondi without shoes from the neighbouring Tamarama beach – about 1.5km – while carrying a medical device.
“I noticed a person utter ‘excuse me’, and as I turned I just saw this flash of blue,” Ching describes. “He was just flying past. He was alone running in the direction that everyone was trying to flee, and hauling that large equipment and barefoot … He moved at something that surely every part of you would signal you to go in the opposite direction.
“Absolutely no pause, but just totally pedal to the metal running.”
An Iconic Image of Courage Amidst Crisis
The image that Ching snapped of the lifeguard, later named as Jackson Doolan, was widely shared as among numerous acts of heroism in the following of the terror attack.
Andy Reid, a second lifeguard, noted that Doolan, referred to as “Jacko”, sprinted from Tamarama beach to support the other members at Bondi, as well as to aid emergency personnel, police and ambulance crews caring for many victims.
Local Reaction and Assistance
Doolan’s actions was just one of many to emerge from the community, with the patrol base adjacent to the scene of the attack transforming into a temporary medical station. Accounts show that colleagues were also seen helping out, including going into the surf to assist people in distress.
Following the events, comments of support flooded in. One post expressed appreciation for the responders who showed that “kindness will always overcome evil”.
The group of rescuers issued a communication, explaining they were “still trying to comprehend what transpired”.
“Thank you all for your supportive sentiments and support. We are touched by the kindness directed at our personnel,” the organization wrote. “Eventually, we will tell our tales in the hope that it helps those affected.”
Council Praise
Waverley council, the local authority that hires many professional lifeguards, remarked that the staff rose to the occasion from the second the shooting started through to late that evening.
“There have been so many emotional accounts, but the popular image of Jackson Doolan, sprinting from Tamarama to Bondi with a AED so he could help assist the injured is extraordinary,” commented a local official.
“The team demonstrate dedication every day in keeping our iconic beaches protected for surfers and swimmers, but what we witnessed on Sunday should be commended.
“While we mourn and grapple with the terror of this violent and horrific terrorist attack, I think it is crucial that we consider just how much good we have seen in the presence of such evil.”
