When Sunbathers Escaped Attack, Viral Picture Depicts Lifeguard Dashing ‘Full Speed’ In the Direction of the Site.

Alexandra Ching, a permanent local of Bondi, describes the famous shoreline as her personal space. On that particular weekend evening, she, along with numerous neighbors, noticed cracking sounds ringing out around the community.

“We all thought the same, but I considered it was still too bright and you couldn't spot any lights,” Ching states. Stepping out of her home, she saw people “pouring up Bondi Road”. Their expressions they wore told her trouble had occurred.

While standing on the avenue, conversing with a duo who had rushed up the incline soaked, she heard someone moving up at her rear. It was a beach patrol officer, dashing to Bondi barefoot from the nearby Tamarama beach – roughly 1.5km – while holding a medical device.

“I noticed a person utter ‘excuse me’, and when I spun around I only caught a glimpse of this flash of blue,” she recounts. “He was simply racing by. He was alone moving in the direction that the crowd was trying to escape from, and hauling that sizeable pack and barefoot … He was sprinting into something that certainly every instinct would tell you to move in the other direction.

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

An Iconic Image of Heroism During Chaos

The image that Ching snapped of the lifeguard, now known to be Jackson Doolan, quickly spread as one of many moments of heroism in the following of the violent incident.

Andy Reid, a fellow lifeguard, noted that Doolan, known as “Jacko”, hurried from Tamarama beach to support the other members at Bondi, as well as to help surf lifesavers, police and paramedics treating dozens of the injured.

Local Outpouring and Assistance

Doolan’s story was a single example among several to come out of the local area, with the patrol base beside the location of the incident becoming a makeshift medical station. Reports indicate that fellow lifeguards were also seen taking action, for instance rushing into the surf to save people needing help.

After the events, messages of appreciation circulated widely. One post shared thanks for the responders who showed that “goodness will always overcome evil”.

The squad of beach patrol issued a message, explaining they were “still trying to comprehend what happened”.

“Our thanks go out to all for your supportive messages and support. We are overwhelmed by the compassion shown towards our personnel,” the organization commented. “When ready, we will recount our experiences in the hope that it helps those involved.”

Official Praise

Waverley council, the governing body that hires many full-time beach safety officers, remarked that the staff acted heroically from the moment the shooting began right into late that nighttime.

“We have heard so many powerful narratives, but the viral photo of Jackson Doolan, running from Tamarama to Bondi with a medical device so he could help save lives is extraordinary,” stated a mayor.

“These individuals demonstrate altruism every day in ensuring our internationally renowned coastlines safe for visitors, but what we witnessed on that day should be commended.

“During this time of sorrow and process the horror of this heinous terrorist attack, I think it is important that we consider just how much positivity we have seen in the face of such hatred.”