When Swimmers Escaped Attack, Viral Picture Shows Rescuer Running ‘Pedal to the Metal’ To the Site.

Alexandra Ching, a permanent resident of Bondi, has always considered the iconic shoreline as her personal space. On that particular weekend evening, she, similar to other local residents, noticed cracking sounds echoing across the community.

“That was the initial assumption, but I considered it was still too bright and you couldn't spot any lights,” she explains. Stepping out of her apartment, she witnessed people “streaming up Bondi Road”. Their expressions she saw told her a crisis was unfolding.

While standing on the road, talking to a duo who had hurried up the hill in their swimwear, she heard someone coming up behind her. The person was a rescuer, running at full speed in the direction of Bondi barefoot from the nearby Tamarama beach – about 1.5km – while carrying a defibrillator.

“I noticed a person utter ‘excuse me’, and as I turned I spotted this flash of blue,” she recalls. “He was simply racing by. It was just him running in the opposite way that the crowd was trying to flee, and hauling that big kit and barefoot … He moved into something that undoubtedly every instinct would signal you to go in the opposite direction.

“Without a second thought, but just completely full throttle sprinting.”

An Iconic Image of Bravery In the Wake of Chaos

The photograph that Ching snapped of the lifeguard, since identified as Jackson Doolan, was widely shared as one of many moments of valour in the wake of the tragic event.

Andy Reid, a fellow beach safety officer, noted that Doolan, called “Jacko”, ran from Tamarama beach to back up the other members at Bondi, as well as to aid surf lifesavers, officers and paramedics caring for dozens of the injured.

Community Outpouring and Support

Doolan’s actions was a single example among several to emerge from the community, with the beach facility beside the site of the incident serving as a temporary treatment center. Accounts show that fellow lifeguards were also seen responding bravely, such as going into the ocean to assist people who were struggling.

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

The team of rescuers issued a message, saying they were “processing what occurred”.

“We are grateful all for your supportive messages and solidarity. We are deeply moved by the care for our responders,” the team wrote. “In time, we will share our stories in the aim that it supports those impacted.”

Local Government Praise

Waverley council, the administrative organization that hires many professional lifeguards, stated that the team performed exceptionally from the second the shooting commenced until late that evening.

“There have been so many emotional stories, but the viral photo of Jackson Doolan, sprinting from Tamarama to Bondi with a AED so he could help save lives is extraordinary,” commented a mayor.

“Our lifeguards exhibit altruism every day in ensuring our internationally renowned coastlines protected for surfers and swimmers, but what we saw on that day should be commended.

“During this time of sorrow and grapple with the terror of this brutal and barbaric tragedy, I think it is important that we reflect on just how much positivity we have seen in the presence of such hatred.”