A thief allegedly stole from Bulli surf lifesavers while they were patrolling the beach on Sunday afternoon. The man, described as in his mid-20s with short shaved dark hair and a trimmed beard, entered the club around 2:30pm dressed in dark shorts, a white Nike t-shirt, white sneakers, and sunglasses on his head.
According to CCTV footage, the man looked through bags, jetskis, and even the club's barbecue, and attempted to access locked areas. At one point, he spoke to a volunteer, claiming he was looking for the toilet. The suspect was seen vaping while wandering around the club multiple times until about 3pm.
Surf club captain Jamie Caldwell said the volunteer came face-to-face with the alleged thief. The man is accused of stealing a volunteer's wallet and beard trimmer from a bag. The victim and his partner, who are from Tasmania but members of the Bulli club, were not rostered but had come to help due to the busy conditions.
The couple did not realize the items were missing until they were heading to Sydney Airport to fly home. About 40 minutes after the theft was discovered, the volunteer received a bank notification that someone had tried to use his debit card at a service station in Heathcote.
The alleged theft occurred just hours after the Bulli volunteers held a beachside vigil to honor victims of the Bondi Beach terror attack. Caldwell expressed disappointment, stating, 'Our volunteers give their time to keep the beach safe, and incidents like this are extremely disappointing.' The matter has been reported to police.
