‘This is our spiritual home’: Scores of Surf lifesavers Come together to Pay tribute to Tragedy The fallen.
Looking out upon the waves on Bondi beach, hand in hand with nearly 1,000 colleagues, Lockie Cook let himself feel the anguish of a local deeply distressing week in recent history.
“I sense that protective wall is falling,” he remarked.
Beach rescuers gathered in their hundreds on Saturday morning to hold two moments of quiet reflection and commemorate those lost in the tragic shooting.
From the very young to the elderly, alongside friends and neighbours dressed in their iconic colours stood together, creating a human chain stretching from the iconic bay's northern edge all the way to its southern point.
“The big thing we've learned from this is just how much this community means to me,” he said.
“This beach is our place of worship … It is vital we reconnect and begin to mend.”
A Moment of Silent Reflection
At that morning, the two minutes’ silence was called for by a voice at the beach’s main patrol tower, near which had been laid bunches of floral memorials.
“120 seconds can be a an eternity but take this time for introspection,” he urged.
“Link arms with the person next to you, shut your eyes and think about the families affected so we can rebuild with strength for this community.”
Volunteers gazed at the sand or to the distance as residents, visitors and officials stood by. The sole audible things were the ocean's rhythm, a distant canine cry and a droning rescue helicopter, which flew along the coastline as the moment concluded.
Taking Back the Beach
People gathered slowly turned to embrace and cheer their fellow lifesavers at the other side of the beach as cheers came from the assembled community.
This was another example of the lifesavers working to bring together the area this past week, stated one participant, a local of the beach's north side and a first responder on the day of the attack.
“Right now, I sense the compassion and solidarity,” commented the participant, who requested privacy.
Having lived at Bondi for most of his years, he participated in the community swim on in the days after and has worked to reclaim the beach as his own.
“It felt like reclaiming a space, it’s cathartic,” he said.
The Ethos of Service
Gene Ross, a experienced instructor, spent the moments’ silence next to his newly certified son, thinking about the unity his club had shown every day since Sunday.
“The decision to enact the attack here … led Australia to stand with the community.”
A great number of rescuers experienced a mix of emotions together as they walked back toward their clubs and through the green space where their teammates saved lives on Sunday.
Many others remained on the shore, ready to come to the aid of people going back into the water.
“We’re here for everybody and that’s the ethos of beach rescue,” Ross affirmed.
“It is our calling as lifesavers: we head into the crisis.”
