When Swimmers Escaped Danger, Widely-Shared Image Captures Lifeguard Dashing ‘Pedal to the Metal’ To the Location.

Alexandra Ching, someone who has spent her entire life as resident of Bondi, has always considered the iconic coast as her own backyard. On that fateful weekend night, she, similar to other others in the area, heard pops reverberating across the suburb.

“We all thought the same, but I considered it was daylight and no one could see them,” she explains. Stepping out of her apartment, she observed people “streaming up Bondi Road”. The looks she saw made it clear something was wrong.

While standing on the road, speaking to a pair who had rushed up the slope in their swimwear, she heard someone coming up behind her. The person was a rescuer, sprinting to Bondi unshod from the neighbouring Tamarama beach – about 1.5km – while carrying a medical device.

“I heard someone say ‘excuse me’, and as I turned I just saw this streak in blue,” Ching describes. “He was just flying past. It was just him heading in the path that the crowd was trying to get away from, carrying that large equipment and without footwear … He was sprinting at something that certainly every fibre in your being would tell you to go in the other direction.

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

A Symbol of Heroism During Tragedy

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

Andy Reid, another lifeguard, explained that Doolan, known as “Jacko”, sprinted from Tamarama beach to assist the rest of his team at Bondi, as well as to work with emergency personnel, law enforcement and paramedics caring for numerous those hurt.

Local Outpouring and Support

Doolan’s actions was a single example among several to come out of the local area, with the beach facility adjacent to the location of the attack serving as a makeshift medical station. It was shared that colleagues were also seen taking action, for instance going into the surf to assist people in distress.

After the events, comments of support circulated widely. One post expressed appreciation for the lifeguards who showed that “kindness will always overcome darkness”.

The group of lifeguards later shared a communication, explaining they were “still trying to comprehend what transpired”.

“We are grateful all for your kind sentiments and solidarity. We are touched by the care for our team,” the team wrote. “When ready, we will tell our tales in the hope that it aids those involved.”

Official Commendation

Waverley council, the local authority that employs many permanent lifeguards, said that the staff acted heroically from the instant the incident started until late that nighttime.

“People have shared so many moving accounts, but the widely-circulated image of Jackson Doolan, sprinting from Tamarama to Bondi with a medical device so he could help preserve life is extraordinary,” commented a local official.

“Our lifeguards demonstrate selflessness every day in keeping our world-famous shores protected for visitors, but what we saw on that day should be highly praised.

“As we grieve and come to terms with the terror of this brutal and barbaric act of violence, I think it is vital that we consider just how much good we have observed in the midst of such hatred.”