While Beachgoers Ran From Violence, Viral Picture Depicts Rescuer Dashing ‘Full Speed’ Towards the Location.
Alexandra Ching, a permanent resident of Bondi, has always considered the famous coast as her own backyard. On that particular weekend night, she, like many others in the area, noticed pops reverberating around the community.
“Everyone did, but I reasoned it was too light and you couldn't spot any lights,” Ching states. Exiting her home, she saw people “pouring up Bondi Road”. The looks she saw made it clear a crisis was unfolding.
Positioned on the avenue, talking to a couple who had hurried up the hill soaked, she noticed someone approaching at her rear. It was a lifeguard, sprinting to Bondi barefoot from the neighbouring Tamarama beach – about 1.5km – while holding a defibrillator.
“I heard someone say ‘excuse me’, and turning my head I just saw this flash of blue,” she recalls. “He was just flying past. He was the only one moving in the direction that everyone was trying to flee, carrying that sizeable pack and without footwear … He’s running into something that certainly every instinct would instruct you to run in the other direction.
“Absolutely no pause, but just completely maximum effort racing.”
A Powerful Moment of Heroism In the Wake of Chaos
The image Ching captured of the lifeguard, since identified as Jackson Doolan, rapidly circulated as among numerous moments of heroism in the following of the violent incident.
Andy Reid, a fellow beach safety officer, says that Doolan, known as “Jacko”, hurried from Tamarama beach to back up the other members at Bondi, as well as to aid emergency personnel, officers and paramedics treating dozens of victims.
Local Reaction and Solidarity
Doolan’s story was a single example among several to be shared by the community, with the lifeguard clubhouse next to the scene of the attack transforming into a temporary hospital. Accounts show that other team members were also seen helping out, such as entering the ocean to rescue people needing help.
After the attack, comments of support flooded in. A social media message conveyed thanks for the responders who showed that “goodness will always conquer darkness”.
The squad of lifeguards later shared a communication, saying they were “coming to terms with what occurred”.
“We are grateful all for your thoughtful messages and solidarity. We are touched by the kindness for our team,” the team wrote. “Eventually, we will recount our experiences in the hope that it aids those impacted.”
Official Recognition
Waverley council, the governing body that hires many permanent lifeguards, remarked that the staff acted heroically from the instant the shooting began until late that nighttime.
“We have heard so many emotional narratives, but the viral picture of Jackson Doolan, running from Tamarama to Bondi with a defibrillator so he could help save lives is extraordinary,” said a council representative.
“The team demonstrate altruism every day in ensuring our iconic shores secure for the public, but what we saw on Sunday should be highly praised.
“During this time of sorrow and come to terms with the atrocity of this violent and horrific act of violence, I think it is vital that we consider just how much positivity we have seen in the presence of such evil.”
