Lifeguards pay touching tribute to Bondi Beach terror attack victims
Another instance of the lifesavers working to unite the community this week, said one Jewish member of the north club
Hundreds of Bondi lifeguards lined the beach to remember the lives lost in the massacre at the Hanukkah celebration almost one week ago.
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There was a two-minute silence and a fly-by over the beach by a rescue helicopter as the uniformed lifesavers stood arm in arm looking out to sea.
Surf lifesavers played a critical role in the aftermath of the attack. They ran to the scene with first aid kits and, in some cases, were barefoot.
After the ceremony, the red and yellow crowd walked back towards their clubs and through the park where their colleagues saved lives on Sunday.
Vice president of the North Bondi Surf Club, Phil Suriano, said: "Our members were first responders, and what they're going through and what they've seen, few people have ever seen."
Many more stayed on the beach, preparing to carry out their primary role as lifeguards on one of Australia's most iconic coastal spots.
Read More: Mourners gather for funeral of British rabbi killed in Bondi Beach terror attack
Gene Ross, a longtime lifesaving teacher, spent the moments’ silence standing by his son, recently qualified, reflecting on the unity his club had shown every day since Sunday.
He told the Guardian: “Choosing to do the attack here … invited Australia to come and support the [Jewish] people.”
Fifteen people were killed when, according to local police, father and son Sajid and Naveed Akram opened fire on more than 1,000 people attending a Jewish festival in the Archer Park area of the popular beach.
The first funerals of the victims were taking place on Wednesday as Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said he expected the surviving suspect to be charged soon.
This included the funeral of British-born rabbi Eli Schlanger.