When Swimmers Fled Danger, Viral Image Depicts Beach Patrol Running ‘Full Speed’ Towards the Location.

Alexandra Ching, someone who has spent her entire life as resident of Bondi, describes the famous beach as her own backyard. On that fateful Sunday evening, she, similar to other neighbors, detected loud noises ringing out through the neighbourhood.

“That was the initial assumption, but I thought it was daylight and you couldn't spot any lights,” Ching recounts. Exiting her apartment, she observed people “flooding up Bondi Road”. Their expressions she saw made it clear a crisis was unfolding.

As she stood on the street, speaking to a pair who had rushed up the incline soaked, she noticed someone approaching from behind. This turned out to be a lifeguard, dashing towards Bondi without shoes from the nearby Tamarama beach – about 1.5km – while carrying a defibrillator.

“I noticed a person utter ‘excuse me’, and turning my head I only caught a glimpse of this flash of blue,” Ching describes. “He was zooming past. He was alone heading in the path that the crowd was trying to escape from, while holding that big kit and barefoot … He moved towards something that certainly every instinct would instruct you to run in the opposite direction.

“Absolutely no pause, but just fully full throttle racing.”

A Powerful Moment of Bravery Amidst Chaos

The photo Ching captured of the rescuer, now known to be Jackson Doolan, was widely shared as a prime example of instances of heroism in the aftermath of the tragic event.

Andy Reid, another beach safety officer, explained that Doolan, called “Jacko”, sprinted from Tamarama beach to back up the remaining crew at Bondi, as well as to work with surf lifesavers, law enforcement and medical teams attending to dozens of those hurt.

Local Response and Support

Doolan’s story was part of a broader narrative to be shared by the community, with the lifeguard clubhouse next to the location of the violence becoming a temporary medical station. It was shared that other team members were also seen responding bravely, for instance rushing into the water to save people needing help.

In the days after the attack, comments of support flooded in. An online statement conveyed gratitude for the responders who exhibited that “goodness will always overcome evil”.

The group of rescuers published a message, noting they were “still trying to comprehend what transpired”.

“Thank you all for your kind words and solidarity. We are overwhelmed by the care directed at our responders,” the team commented. “Eventually, we will share our stories in the aim that it helps those involved.”

Council Praise

Waverley council, the governing body that oversees many full-time lifeguards, stated that the crew rose to the occasion from the second the shooting began right into late that night.

“We have heard so many emotional stories, but the widely-circulated photo of Jackson Doolan, sprinting from Tamarama to Bondi with a medical device so he could help save lives is remarkable,” commented a local official.

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

“During this time of sorrow and come to terms with the atrocity of this brutal and barbaric terrorist attack, I think it is crucial that we consider just how much positivity we have seen in the midst of such evil.”