When Sunbathers Escaped Danger, Viral Picture Depicts Beach Patrol Dashing ‘Pedal to the Metal’ Towards the Site.

Alexandra Ching, a lifelong inhabitant of Bondi, has always considered the famous beach as her personal space. On that fateful weekend evening, she, like many others in the area, detected loud noises reverberating through the suburb.

“That was the initial assumption, but I reasoned it was daylight and you couldn't spot any lights,” Ching recounts. Exiting her residence, she witnessed people “pouring up Bondi Road”. The faces on display made it clear a crisis was unfolding.

Positioned on the street, talking to a couple who had hurried up the incline still dripping wet, she became aware of someone coming up behind her. It was a lifeguard, running at full speed in the direction of Bondi unshod from the adjacent Tamarama beach – roughly 1.5km – while carrying a medical device.

“I caught a voice saying ‘excuse me’, and when I spun around I spotted this streak in blue,” she recounts. “He was zooming past. It was just him heading in the path that the crowd was trying to escape from, and hauling that big kit and without footwear … He moved into something that certainly every instinct would tell you to go in the opposite direction.

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

A Symbol of Courage During Chaos

The photo taken by Ching of the rescuer, since identified as Jackson Doolan, quickly spread as one of many acts of heroism in the wake of the terror attack.

Andy Reid, a second beach safety officer, explained that Doolan, referred to as “Jacko”, sprinted from Tamarama beach to support the remaining crew at Bondi, as well as to work with emergency personnel, police and paramedics caring for numerous victims.

Community Outpouring and Assistance

Doolan’s account was just one of many to be shared by the neighbourhood, with the patrol base beside the scene of the attack transforming into a makeshift medical station. Accounts show that fellow lifeguards were also seen taking action, for instance rushing into the water to assist people needing help.

Following the tragedy, statements of gratitude flooded in. One post shared thanks for the responders who demonstrated that “goodness will always conquer darkness”.

The team of beach patrol later shared a statement, saying they were “processing what happened”.

“Thank you all for your supportive words and support. We are deeply moved by the kindness for our personnel,” the organization stated. “When ready, we will tell our tales in the belief that it helps those affected.”

Council Praise

Waverley council, the governing body that employs many permanent beach safety officers, remarked that the crew acted heroically from the second the incident began through to late that night.

“We have heard so many emotional accounts, but the popular image of Jackson Doolan, running from Tamarama to Bondi with a defibrillator so he could help assist the injured is extraordinary,” stated a mayor.

“Our lifeguards demonstrate altruism every day in maintaining the safety of our world-famous coastlines protected for visitors, but what we observed on Sunday should be highly praised.

“During this time of sorrow and come to terms with the terror of this violent and horrific terrorist attack, I think it is vital that we consider just how much positivity we have observed in the midst of such hatred.”