When Swimmers Escaped Attack, Popular Picture Shows Beach Patrol Dashing ‘Pedal to the Metal’ Towards the Site.

Alexandra Ching, a lifelong inhabitant of Bondi, describes the iconic beach as her personal space. On that particular weekend evening, she, along with numerous local residents, heard loud noises reverberating through the community.

“That was the initial assumption, but I reasoned it was still too bright and you couldn't spot any lights,” Ching states. Exiting her home, she saw people “streaming up Bondi Road”. The looks they wore signaled something was wrong.

Positioned on the street, speaking to a pair who had run up the hill soaked, she became aware of someone coming up from behind. This turned out to be a rescuer, dashing to Bondi unshod from the adjacent Tamarama beach – a distance of 1.5km – while transporting a defibrillator.

“I heard someone say ‘excuse me’, and as I turned I spotted this blur of blue,” Ching describes. “He was zooming past. He was alone moving in the path that the crowd was trying to escape from, while holding that large equipment and without footwear … He moved into something that certainly every instinct would tell you to move in the reverse way.

“Without a second thought, but just fully maximum effort running.”

A Powerful Moment of Courage In the Wake of Tragedy

The image that Ching snapped of the rescuer, later named as Jackson Doolan, was widely shared as one of many instances of heroism in the aftermath of the violent incident.

Andy Reid, another lifeguard, says that Doolan, known as “Jacko”, sprinted from Tamarama beach to assist the rest of his team at Bondi, as well as to aid other rescuers, officers and ambulance crews caring for many those hurt.

Local Outpouring and Support

Doolan’s account was part of a broader narrative to be shared by the neighbourhood, with the lifeguard clubhouse adjacent to the location of the violence becoming a makeshift hospital. Reports indicate that other team members were also seen responding bravely, such as rushing into the water to rescue people in distress.

In the days after the events, messages of gratitude flooded in. An online statement expressed gratitude for the responders who demonstrated that “compassion will always triumph over evil”.

The group of rescuers issued a communication, saying they were “processing what happened”.

“We are grateful all for your kind sentiments and support. We are touched by the care directed at our responders,” the team commented. “Eventually, we will share our stories in the aim that it supports those impacted.”

Official Recognition

Waverley council, the governing body that employs many full-time lifeguards, said that the crew rose to the occasion from the second the violence commenced right into late that night.

“There have been so many powerful narratives, but the widely-circulated image of Jackson Doolan, running from Tamarama to Bondi with a AED so he could help assist the injured is incredible,” said a council representative.

“The team show selflessness every day in keeping our iconic beaches safe for visitors, but what we witnessed on that evening should be commended.

“As we grieve and grapple with the horror of this heinous tragedy, I think it is important that we reflect on just how much positivity we have observed in the presence of such darkness.”