In a powerful and poignant display of community solidarity, more than a thousand mourners gathered on the waters of Bondi Beach at dawn to honour the memory of the fifteen victims killed in last Sunday's devastating terror attack.
A Sea of Support at Dawn
The tribute, a traditional surfers' 'paddle-out', saw an estimated over 1000 participants take to the water from the North Bondi Surf Club at 6.30am on Friday. The crowd, comprising surfers, swimmers, and community members, far exceeded initial expectations of around 700 people. They paddled and swam out before forming a vast circle on the water's surface to observe a minute's silence.
Sunrise reporter Katie Brown, who was present at Bondi during the horrific attack, participated in the emotional event. She described the scene to Sunrise co-hosts Monique Wright and David Woywood as "so beautiful to have this light in such a dark time." Brown emphasised the overwhelming turnout, stating, "It was just so beautiful to see the community come together."
A Spiritual Farewell in the Waves
The paddle-out is a profound ritual within surf culture, where participants gather in a circle and splash water skyward as a final farewell to a loved one. Bondi local Nikki, who took part, called the experience "incredible" and noted the diverse cross-section of the community present. "You've got people from all parts of the community out there, all ages," she said.
Nikki explained the spiritual significance of the act: "When you're out in the water like that, a paddle out's quite a special, spiritual thing actually, and people start holding hands, and then there's the splashing." She also paid tribute to the first responders for their "extraordinary" efforts during and after the attack.
Reflecting on the gathering's importance for healing, Nikki added, "It's quite a good time for us to now have a gathering on this beach because it's been very eerie for the last few days... it's acknowledging what's happened, but at the same time giving everyone permission to come back as a community now and rally and move forward."
Lifeguards Recall Chaos and Courage
Bondi lifeguards Jimmy and Rupert, who were both on scene during Sunday's attack and assisted victims, also spoke after the paddle-out. Jimmy recounted being just 30 metres from where much of the shooting occurred as he was headed to a Christmas party. He waited for ten minutes until the gunfire stopped before rushing in to help the injured, even driving people to hospital.
"At that point I felt confident that, you know, it was time to get into the park to do what we do as lifeguards, and to help those out," Jimmy said.
Rupert, who also bravely aided victims, struggled to articulate the emotions of the morning's tribute. "It's hard to put into words," he said. "It was a special moment being out there with everybody. I've never seen anything like that, and I've lived in Bondi close to 10 years, but nothing on that scale. It was very special to see everybody come together and show support for each other, everybody affected, and our Jewish brothers and sisters here in Bondi."
The immense gathering on the water served as a raw and resonant moment of collective mourning, resilience, and a first step toward healing for a community shattered by tragedy.
