When Swimmers Escaped Violence, Widely-Shared Image Depicts Rescuer Running ‘Full Speed’ To the Scene.

Alexandra Ching, a permanent resident of Bondi, has always considered the iconic shoreline as her back yard. On a recent weekend evening, she, similar to other local residents, noticed pops ringing out through the neighbourhood.

“That was the initial assumption, but I considered it was too light and you couldn't spot any lights,” Ching recounts. Exiting her home, she observed people “streaming up Bondi Road”. The looks she saw signaled a crisis was unfolding.

Positioned on the street, conversing with a couple who had rushed up the slope still dripping wet, she heard someone coming up at her rear. This turned out to be a beach patrol officer, sprinting towards Bondi without shoes from the neighbouring Tamarama beach – about 1.5km – while carrying a medical device.

“I heard someone say ‘excuse me’, and turning my head I just saw this flash of blue,” Ching describes. “He was just flying past. He was the only one heading in the path that the crowd was trying to get away from, and hauling that big kit and without footwear … He moved into something that surely every fibre in your being would instruct you to run in the reverse way.

“Without a second thought, but just completely maximum effort racing.”

A Powerful Moment of Courage During Crisis

The image taken by Ching of the lifeguard, now known to be Jackson Doolan, rapidly circulated as among numerous instances of heroism in the aftermath of the terror attack.

Andy Reid, another beach safety officer, says that Doolan, known as “Jacko”, sprinted from Tamarama beach to back up the remaining crew at Bondi, as well as to aid other rescuers, officers and medical teams attending to many the injured.

Local Response and Solidarity

Doolan’s actions was part of a broader narrative to come out of the neighbourhood, with the patrol base next to the scene of the attack becoming a makeshift medical station. Accounts show that colleagues were also seen helping out, such as entering the ocean to save people who were struggling.

After the attack, statements of support flooded in. One post conveyed appreciation for the lifeguards who demonstrated that “kindness will always overcome evil”.

The squad of beach patrol published a communication, noting they were “still trying to comprehend what occurred”.

“Our thanks go out to all for your thoughtful messages and solidarity. We are overwhelmed by the care shown towards our team,” the team stated. “When ready, we will share our stories in the belief that it supports those involved.”

Local Government Praise

Waverley council, the local authority that oversees many full-time beach safety officers, remarked that the team rose to the occasion from the second the incident started until late that nighttime.

“There have been so many moving accounts, but the popular photo of Jackson Doolan, racing from Tamarama to Bondi with a medical device so he could help assist the injured is remarkable,” said a local official.

“These individuals show dedication every day in ensuring our world-famous beaches safe for surfers and swimmers, but what we saw on that day should be highly praised.

“As we grieve and process the terror of this brutal and barbaric act of violence, I think it is crucial that we consider just how much positivity we have observed in the midst of such darkness.”