When Swimmers Fled Attack, Popular Photo Shows Lifeguard Sprinting ‘All Out’ To the Site.

Alexandra Ching, a permanent resident of Bondi, views the renowned coast as her back yard. On that fateful weekend night, she, like many others in the area, heard cracking sounds echoing around the suburb.

“Everyone did, but I considered it was daylight and you couldn't spot any lights,” Ching recounts. She left her apartment, she observed people “streaming up Bondi Road”. Their expressions she saw made it clear trouble had occurred.

Positioned on the street, speaking to a duo who had hurried up the incline soaked, she heard someone approaching at her rear. This turned out to be a beach patrol officer, running at full speed in the direction of Bondi unshod from the adjacent Tamarama beach – about 1.5km – while transporting a life-saving kit.

“I heard someone say ‘excuse me’, and when I spun around I only caught a glimpse of this streak in blue,” Ching describes. “He was zooming past. He was the only one moving in the opposite way that everyone was trying to escape from, while holding that sizeable pack and without footwear … He’s running into something that undoubtedly every fibre in your being would tell you to move in the opposite direction.

“Absolutely no pause, but just completely full throttle running.”

A Symbol of Courage In the Wake of Tragedy

The photograph taken by Ching of the rescuer, now known to be Jackson Doolan, rapidly circulated as a prime example of instances of heroism in the wake of the terror attack.

Andy Reid, a second beach safety officer, explained that Doolan, known as “Jacko”, ran from Tamarama beach to support the other members at Bondi, as well as to work with emergency personnel, law enforcement and ambulance crews treating many the injured.

Collective Response and Assistance

Doolan’s account was a single example among several to come out of the community, with the beach facility beside the site of the incident serving as a impromptu medical station. It was shared that fellow lifeguards were also seen helping out, including entering the surf to rescue people who were struggling.

In the days after the attack, messages of gratitude were shared. A social media message expressed appreciation for the responders who exhibited that “kindness will always triumph over hatred”.

The team of rescuers later shared a message, noting they were “still trying to comprehend what happened”.

“Thank you all for your kind messages and solidarity. We are overwhelmed by the care for our personnel,” the team stated. “Eventually, we will recount our experiences in the aim that it supports those involved.”

Local Government Commendation

Waverley council, the governing body that hires many permanent lifeguards, said that the staff acted heroically from the moment the incident began right into late that evening.

“We have heard so many powerful accounts, but the widely-circulated picture of Jackson Doolan, running from Tamarama to Bondi with a medical device so he could help preserve life is remarkable,” stated a local official.

“These individuals demonstrate selflessness every day in keeping our iconic shores protected for the public, but what we observed on that day should be celebrated.

“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 focus on just how much positivity we have seen in the midst of such darkness.”