While Sunbathers Escaped Violence, Popular Picture Depicts Lifeguard Running ‘Pedal to the Metal’ In the Direction of the Location.

Alexandra Ching, a lifelong local of Bondi, views the iconic shoreline as her personal space. On a recent Sunday evening, she, along with numerous neighbors, heard cracking sounds ringing out across the community.

“That was the initial assumption, but I reasoned it was too light and no one could see them,” she explains. She left her apartment, she saw people “pouring up Bondi Road”. Their expressions she saw signaled a crisis was unfolding.

As she stood on the road, talking to a pair who had rushed up the incline still dripping wet, she noticed someone moving up at her rear. The person was a lifeguard, running at full speed in the direction of Bondi without shoes from the neighbouring Tamarama beach – a distance of 1.5km – while holding a medical device.

“I heard someone say ‘excuse me’, and when I spun around I only caught a glimpse of this blur of blue,” she recalls. “He was zooming past. He was the only one running in the opposite way that everyone was trying to escape from, carrying that sizeable pack and unshod … He was sprinting at something that certainly every instinct would tell you to go in the opposite direction.

“Absolutely no pause, but just completely pedal to the metal racing.”

A Powerful Moment of Bravery Amidst Tragedy

The photograph Ching captured of the lifeguard, later named as Jackson Doolan, quickly spread as among numerous instances of courage in the following of the tragic event.

Andy Reid, another beach safety officer, noted that Doolan, called “Jacko”, sprinted from Tamarama beach to back up the remaining crew at Bondi, as well as to aid surf lifesavers, police and medical teams treating dozens of the injured.

Local Outpouring and Solidarity

Doolan’s account was part of a broader narrative to be shared by the neighbourhood, with the patrol base adjacent to the location of the attack becoming a makeshift hospital. Reports indicate that other team members were also seen helping out, for instance rushing into the water to save people who were struggling.

In the days after the attack, messages of support circulated widely. A social media message expressed gratitude for the individuals who exhibited that “goodness will always overcome hatred”.

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

“We are grateful all for your thoughtful words and solidarity. We are deeply moved by the care for our personnel,” the organization wrote. “In time, we will share our stories in the hope that it aids those involved.”

Council Commendation

Waverley council, the local authority that oversees many full-time beach safety officers, said that the staff performed exceptionally from the instant the violence started through to late that evening.

“We have heard so many powerful stories, but the popular photo of Jackson Doolan, running from Tamarama to Bondi with a AED so he could help assist the injured is extraordinary,” said a council representative.

“The team exhibit selflessness every day in ensuring our iconic beaches secure for visitors, but what we saw on that evening should be commended.

“During this time of sorrow and process the terror of this heinous terrorist attack, I think it is vital that we reflect on just how much light we have seen in the face of such darkness.”