Chapter Text
8:47 p.m.
The email arrived just before nine.
Most of the lifeguards were already home, scattered across bedrooms, kitchens and living rooms when their phones began lighting up almost simultaneously.
__
To: <SeniorBondibeachlifeguards>,
<JuniorBondibeachlifeguards>,
CC: <Bondibeachbase>
From: Beach Operations (Fernando)
Subject: Junior Shadowing, and Tomorrow’s Assignments.
Hi everyone,
With the new trainee lifeguards starting tomorrow and the beach expected to be very busy, please see tomorrow’s assignments below.
Trainee Shadowing:
- Max & Isack
- George & Kimi
- Charles & Oliver
- Lando & Gabriel
- Oscar & Jack
- Sebastian & Franco
- Alex & Liam
As most of you know, we’ll also have Liam and Oliver joining us from Tamarama as trainee lifesavers. Both have previous patrol experience and will be completing their placement alongside the bondi team.
Seniors should introduce their junior to their assigned patrol area, talk them through the daily routine and have them accompany them on regular patrols and calls.
Regular Patrol:
- Lewis (head lifeguard)
- Nico R
- Nico H
- Daniel
Patrol assignments may change throughout the day depending on beach conditions and call-outs.
Relief lifeguards:
- Pierre
- Lance (paramedic)
- Esteban
- Carlos (paramedic)
Pierre, Lance, Esteban and Carlos will assist with patrols and calls whenever available alongside their other duties at base, as additional coverage will probably be needed this month.
Also, briefing starts at 7am tomorrow, make sure to be there on time.
Safety Reminders:
- Keep radios on and respond to calls promptly.
- Monitor the flags and watch for rip currents or changing water conditions.
- Report hazards and incidents to the office immediately.
Thanks everyone,
Beach Operations (Fernando)
⸻
BONDI LIFEGUARDING 101 🐟 (SENIORS)
daniel
that’s an awful lot of people for one beach.
alex
busy tomorrow?
daniel
apparently so mate 😔
oscar
“very busy” is never a phrase I enjoy seeing from fernando 👎
lando
especially when we got more boys coming in
for backup
george
we’ll manage it
max
considering that we have more than enough people
we should.
lewis
briefing will clear everything up
conditions will also be checked before the flags go up
nico
that sounds reassuring.
daniel
i was already reassured by the seven juniors and four extra blokes!
carlos
you’re welcome amigo…
daniel
i meant that sincerely :c
carlos
sure..
pierre
anyways..👀
base is getting everything ready tonight
esteban
extra first aid kits are packed.
spare radio batteries too.
lance
new rescue tubes are by the equipment room yeah?
though i doubt we’ll need them
hulk
👌
lando
wait why did we get new ones tho
lance
bc of that bloke who broke in and took a bite out of them
alex
LMAO
george
mohawk guy?
daniel
i rmb having to help arrest the guy
esteban
yeah
lando
i love mohawk guy
oscar
mohawk guy was also a bag stealer
lando
nvm i take that back
i hate bag stealers
seb
are our boards good?
esteban
yeah, they’re on the rack
max
anyone know the forecast for tmrw?
pierre
clear at the moment
but it’s going to be pretty warm tomorrow
lando
so basically everyone has decided tomorrow is beach day
george
people do tend to do that
alex
strange tradition.☀️
__
The conversation drifted into smaller things after that.
Someone asked whether the southern equipment station had enough spare flags.
It did.
Another asked if the binoculars in the central tower had been cleaned.
They had.
The Senior group chat gradually went quiet.
Tomorrow was going to be busy. And they all needed atleast a few hours to deal with the beach tomorrow.
The juniors on the other hand..
⸻
BONDIS FUTURE LIFEGUARDSS! 🦈(JUNIORS)
franco
did everyone get the email?!
jack
yes.
gabi
yep
kimi
yeah
isack
yea
i actually can’t believe that tmrw is our first day lowk
gabi
ikr
jack
everyone excited?
kimi
i’m so nervous man ☹️
ollie
you guys will do fine
dont worry
liam
it’s just like training mate
just with lots more ppl.
kimi
that’s the part I’m most nervous about
liam
it’s normal
franco
for you guys maybe but not for us!!
liam
eh🤷♂️
jack
do we have to do anything differently because we’re juniors?
ollie
i mean everyone does the same job
just don’t try and do smth stupid to look cool
liam
and if you’re unsure about anything
just say it
ollie
better to ask then guess yk
gabi
makes sense 🤔
franco
I’m more worried about the radio guys
ollie
nah
you’ll get used to it pretty quickly
liam
just listen to the first few calls
you’ll get the feel soon enough
isack
what time is everyone getting there?
franco
i was going to say early but I don’t actually know what early means anymore.
liam
just get there before briefing
ollie
that would be a good start
kimi
helpful
ollie
i try :)
__
The chat settled down shortly afterwards.
There was no dramatic speech about their first day.
They had trained for this.
Tomorrow was simply the first time they would be doing it for real.
⸻
6:00am. — The Next Morning
The beach looked significantly different before the crowds arrived.
The sand was still relatively open, the promenade only beginning to fill, and the water stretched almost uninterrupted between the headlands. The crashing waves providing soft tunes that filled the beach.
The lifeguard team moved through the morning setup.
Flags were checked.
Signs were carried into position.
Boards were dragged towards the equipment stations.
Radios came off charge one by one.
__
The central tower had already been opened.
From the top, the beach looked completely different. The sand seemed to stretch forever.
The water was easier to read from above.
Dark patches, lines of breaking waves, gutters and the occasional smooth-looking section that wasn’t as harmless as it appeared.
Daniel stood with binoculars pressed to his eyes.
“Southern end’s moving.”
Nico H looked over.
“Backpackers?”
“Not properly yet. But there’s a decent current running out.”
Nico H nodded.
“Keep an eye on it.”
__
Down below, George checked his radio before clipping it to his belt, while Alex was sorting through a first-aid kit.
Oscar and Max were helping Charles carry rescue boards toward a few rhinos.
And Lando arrived with 2 cans of red bull in each hand.
“Someone left these in the office.”
Alex took one.
“Thanks mate.”
Lando tossed another towards Max.
Max caught it.
“Thanks man, I really needed this.” he said as he cracked it open.
“It’s literally not even 7 yet.”
“I just know today is going to be a long one.”Max huffed
“Hmm..”
“In that case I’m going to go get a monster”
Lando said, as he quickly bolted to the fridge in the back.
Nearby, Sebastian checked the radio batteries while Nico R and Lewis went through the equipment at the southern station.
Slowly the juniors started to shuffle into the tower, all of them had nervous expressions plastered across their face.
Except for two of them.
__
Liam and Ollie were different from the others. They’d spent 2 years as trainees at Taramara and occasionally joined those at bondi with patrols and helping with rescues.
So they already knew the beach quite well.
Where everything was, how the patrols worked, and who to go to when they needed something.
As they moved through the group, they exchanged easy greetings with the older lifesavers, who were glad they finally came over. They felt completely at home in the unfamiliar surroundings.
The other juniors were more deliberate.
Not lost.
Just taking everything in.
George handed Kimi a radio.
“Keep that on you.”
Kimi clipped it to his belt and nodded
“Got it.”
Max was already checking board straps with Isack.
“Everything looks good.”
“For now atleast.”Max added.
Lando and Gabi walked towards the southern end together.
Gabi looked out towards the water.
“The current’s moving pretty hard today.”
“Yeah, you’ll see why everyone keeps talking about this end later on.” Lando replied.
Charles and Ollie were finishing a quick equipment check while Sebastian and Franco stayed near the tower. Meanwhile, Alex and Liam made their way through the central section, as Oscar and Jack heading towards the central tower.
Around them, the others settled into their positions, getting a feel for the beach and the morning conditions. Nobody needed a long explanation. They would learn quickly enough once the patrol started.
⸻
7am. — Morning Briefing
Everyone gathered in the central tower.
The beach had changed noticeably in less than an hour.
More people were arriving.
Families were spreading towels across the sand. Children were running towards the water. Surfers were already gathering farther south.
Lewis looked across the group.
“Conditions are good in the main swimming area. However the southern end is different. Backpackers rip is looking pretty strong, so keep your eyes on people down there.
Several people nodded.
“The flags are going up where conditions allow. If they move, the patrol boundaries move with them.”
He looked towards the juniors.
“Don’t chase a situation on your own. Call it in, tell us what you’ve got, and we’ll coordinate it.”
The juniors listened.
“Keep the radios on. Tower teams, keep scanning between calls. Everyone else, keep moving. Prevention is the job as much as rescue is.”
A short pause.
“Any questions?”
Nobody spoke.
“Good. Let’s go boys.”
The group broke apart.
⸻
The first twenty minutes were quiet.
George and Kimi walked their section, checking the shoreline.
Suddenly, Kimi’s hand shot out towards a group of swimmers.
“That group is outside the flags.”
George looked.
“Good spot.”
He grabbed the megaphone
“HEY! You four need to come back inside the flags!”
The group looked over. George gestured towards the beach.
“Back in, guys. Stay between the flags.”
The group quickly understood and moved back in between the flags.
Nothing more was needed.
__
Further along, Max and Isack were checking the water.
Isack stopped.
“There’s a kid with an inflatable heading towards the rocks.”
Max turned.
“Yep, let’s go”
They intercepted him before he reached the rocks that would have easily left him stranded or worse, injured.
“Mate, keep that inside the flags.”Max said sternly.
The boy looked towards his parents, eyes wet.
Isack pointed towards them, not taking his gaze away from the kid.
“Stay with your parents okay?”
The boy nodded and ran towards them.
__
It’s the small things.
The kind of work that rarely made a dramatic story but prevented plenty of them.
⸻
9:03 am.
The central tower was already busy.
Oscar sat with the binoculars.
Jack was beside him, learning how to scan without staring at one patch of water for too long.
“You’re basically looking for something off. Arms up in the water, someone face down, currents too strong etc.” Oscar instructed.
Jack lifted the binoculars.
“Like someone going sideways instead of towards shore?”
“Exactly.”
Jack kept scanning.
A pair of surfers moved through the centre.
Then a bodyboarder. Then a family. Then—
“There.”
Oscar looked over.
“What?”
Jack pointed.
“A group of swimmers near the southern flags. They’re moving sideways.”
Oscar immediately raised his binoculars.
He found them.
It was the same group that George and Kimi had told off a few hours ago.
He watched for a few seconds.
“Keep an eye on them for now.”
Jack kept looking.
The group of swimmers weren’t in obvious trouble yet.
But they were drifting.
South.
Straight towards the stronger current.
“Yeah, okay that’s not looking so good” Oscar said after a few seconds.
He reached for his radio.
“Central to south.”
“South, go ahead.”
“Group of swimmers drifting towards the southern edge of the flagged area. It’s the same group that was out of the flags. Keep eyes on them.”
“Copy that Oscar.”
The radio clicked off.
Oscar kept watching.
“Don’t lose them mate, we don’t know what might happen.”
Jack nodded.
⸻
9:15 am.
Suddenly, the first rescue began.
A large wave grabbed them and pulled them into a rip.
As soon as one of the swimmers realised what was happening, they turned and tried to swim back but it was too late.
The current carried them sideways instead.
The other swimmers were quickly dragged into it too.
Jack quickly lowered the binoculars.
“Shit man. they’re caught in backpackers.” he muttered, now out of his seat and staring back into his binoculars trying to spot them.
Oscar was already watching closely.
“Damn it.
Another set of waves rolled through.
The swimmers quickly disappearing under the water for a moment before resurfacing further into backpackers.
Oscar quickly reached for his radio.
“Central to George.”
“They’re out further south, and they’ve now been dragged into backpackers.”
George and Kimi glanced towards the water.
The group of swimmers now frantically thrashing as they’re being thrown around by the current
“Copy that. We’re already moving.”
George dropped his radio onto the sand, pulled his shirt over his head and threw it onto the Rhino parked beside the equipment station.
Kimi did the same, leaving his shirt behind on the sand.
George and Kimi grabbed their rescue boards and sprinted across the sand, dragging the boards behind them until they reached the waterline.
“Stay behind me.” George shouted.
“Got it.”
The first wave rushed around their ankles. George shoved his board forward onto the water and ran alongside it for a few steps before throwing himself onto it, settling with his knees tucked underneath him.
He immediately began paddling, reaching forward with one arm and then the other, pulling hard through the water as the board skimmed over the surface.
Kimi was already beside him, quickly doing the same.
They pushed through the first few waves, boards rising and dropping beneath them as they paddled towards the swimmers.
George lifted his head for a second.
The swimmers were still waving their arms, struggling against the current.
He lowered his head and dug his hands into the water again, paddling harder.
__
Back in the tower, Oscar suddenly noticed movement further along the rip.
Another swimmer had appeared beyond the breaking waves, struggling to stay in place.
Oscar’s expression changed.
“Central to all stations. I need backup at Backpackers, There’s now 5 swimmers in need.”
A burst of static.
“Rhino 2, Copy, we’re about 15 seconds out.
”Copy that”
Alex turned towards the Rhino.
Liam jumped in beside him.
“Another swimmer?” Liam asked, sounding alarmed
“Looks like it.”
They climbed onto the Rhino and headed towards the southern end.
Ahead of them, George and Kimi were already deep into the rip trying to pull the drowning swimmers onto their boards.
Liam pointed towards a part of the water, where the other swimmer was.
“There.”
In response Alex accelerated across the shoreline.
“Get out of the way! MOVE!” Alex screamed at onlookers in the way.
All of a sudden the swimmer disappeared under a wave
Alex quickly slowed the Rhino near the water’s edge.
“You take this one, I’ll stay here just in case”
Liam nodded, quickly jumping out and grabbing his board.
__
The rip was doing exactly what it always did, moving water away from the beach while dragging people along with it.
The swimmers were fighting it hard.
Exactly what you were not supposed to do.
George and Kimi finally reached the swimmers and chucked them onto the board.
“GRAB THE BOARD!” George shouted.
They grabbed the front of it.
George shifted the two swimmers bodies to make space on the board.
“You’re alright. Just hold on mate.”
The other swimmer was several metres away.
Kimi looked towards them.
“George!”
“I’ve got these 2. Get the other one over there.”
Kimi quickly paddled over, trying to keep the other swimmer from falling off his board.
The fourth swimmer was now struggling more. Their arms were moving rapidly through the water.
Kimi soon reached him.
“Take the board!”
The swimmer grabbed it.
“Good. Don’t let go.”
Kimi steadied the board, grabbing the guy closer and positioning him towards the front.
Now all he needed was to paddle back to George and then the shore.
__
Liam paddled hard through the breaking waves, keeping his eyes fixed on the swimmer ahead.
The swimmer lifted an arm again, then disappeared under a wave again.
Liam pushed himself forward, digging both hands into the water.
“Come on…” he muttered, his arms now burning, but he didn’t care.
The swimmers head suddenly resurfaced, gasping for breath.
Liam changed direction, angling across the current rather than fighting straight against it.
Alex watched from the Rhino, radio still in hand.
“Rhino 2 to Central, he’s got eyes on the swimmer. They’re about twenty metres outside the flags.”
Liam reached the swimmer and brought the board alongside them.
The swimmer now losing strength fast started going under the surface.
Thinking fast, Liam grabbed the swimmers hair and dragged him onto the board.
The swimmer reached for the handle, barely holding on.
Liam steadied the board beneath them, placing his arm over the guys back to prevent him from slipping.
“Central, Liam has contact.”
“He’s coming in now”
“Copy that”
Alex watched as Liam began guiding the swimmer back towards the beach.
__
The tower was tracking the whole thing.
Jack kept the binoculars on George and Kimi.
While Oscar’s was staring at Liam and Alex.
__
The swimmers were exhausted now.
One was breathing heavily, barely speaking.
George kept his voice calm.
“Almost there. Don’t try to swim. Let the board do the work.”
They nodded.
The current began to weaken as they reached the edge of the main rip.
George turned the board towards shore.
This time, the water carried them in.
A wave caught the board from behind.
George held the swimmer steady.
“Stay down.”
The wave passed.
They were in shallower water.
George stood.
“Alright. Feet down.”
The swimmer’s feet touched the sand.
George helped them off the board.
Kimi and Liam reached shore with the other swimmers moments later.
__
Alex was there to help pull the boards clear of the breaking waves.
“Sit down for a second,” Alex told the swimmer.
They nodded.
George looked back towards the water.
All the swimmers were safe.
He picked up his radio.
“South end to Central.”
“Central , go ahead.”
“5 swimmers recovered from Backpackers Express. All safely ashore. No further assistance required.”
“Copy, South.”
The tower transmitted immediately after.
“Central to All. Visual confirms both swimmers safely ashore.”
“Copy.”
Jack lowered the binoculars.
The entire rescue had lasted several minutes.
It had looked simple from the beach.
It hadn’t been.
George walked back towards the equipment station, carrying the board.
Kimi followed.
His shirt was still lying on the sand where he’d thrown it.
He picked it up slowly.
“That’s going to need a wash.”
George looked at the wet and sandy shirt.
“Nah man, just chuck it in the ocean.” He chuckled, putting his shirt back on.
⸻
9:47 am.
The beach returned to normal surprisingly quickly.
The swimmers were checked over by Lance and reunited with their friends.
The boards were rinsed and returned to the station.
George replaced his radio battery.
Kimi tried to watch the southern water from the edge of the patrol area.
“You really can’t see the rip from down here.”
George looked out.
“It’s much easier from the tower right?”
“Much easier.”
George nodded.
Above them, Jack was in the tower and back on the binoculars.
The southern end looked calm again.
But he knew it wasn’t.
The rip was still there.
Still moving.
Still something the tower needed to watch.
⸻
The rest of the day settled into a rhythm.
A group of teenagers tried carrying an inflatable tomato beyond the flags.
Lando stopped them.
“Keep it inside.”
One of them pointed towards the water.
“But it’s not deep.”
“That’s not the problem.” Gabi reiterated.
They reluctantly turned around.
Further north, Charles and Ollie dealt with a family setting up too close to the waterline.
At the central section, Pierre helped direct a lost child towards the office.
Seb and Franco spent twenty minutes walking the northern patrol area before stopping to watch the water.
While Esteban, Lance and Carlos were dealing with a steady stream of preventative work.
Nothing dramatic.
Exactly what the team wanted.
⸻
12:30 pm.
“North end to Central.”
“Central, go ahead.”
“There’s a Lost child near the Flags. A little boy, around six years old, blue shorts, red cap.”
“Copy, Charles. We’re checking.”
Oscar soon spotted him near the steps of the tower 5 minutes after Charles called it in.
He opened the door of the tower and approached slowly.
“Hey buddy, You looking for someone?”
The boy nodded, his eyes welling up with tears.
Oscar crouched down.
“What’s their name?”
The boy answered.
Jack stayed in the tower, watching the surrounding crowd.
A woman suddenly appeared from near the car park.
She spotted the red cap.
“Oh my God!”
The boy ran towards her.
Oscar stood there smiling at the interaction.
“Bondi is really busy this time of the year so be careful guys yeah?”
”Yes, Yes thank you so much” The woman said gratefully.
“No problem, it’s just what we do.”
In the tower Jack spoke into his radio.
“Central to All. Child reunited with family.”
“Copy.”
“Copy that.”
Oscar soon headed back towards the tower.
When he came in Jack looked at Oscar.
“That’s the second one already.”
Oscar shrugged.
“It’s the start of summer mate.”
⸻
1 pm.
The sun was higher now.
The beach was packed.
From the central tower, the crowds looked almost continuous.
Jack passed the binoculars back to Oscar, slumping back in his chair.
“There’s way more people than earlier.”
Oscar looked through them.
“That’s Bondi for ya.” Daniel called out from the back making the two of them snicker.
Suddenly, the radios continued to crackle again.
“South end to central. Swimmer outside the flags, returning now.”
“Copy.”
“North end to central. Group near flat rock. Keeping an eye on them.”
“Copy that.”
“Uhh North end to central, First aid request at flat rock.”
“Possible concussion”
“Copy. Sending Carlos.”
Nothing became a major incident.
That was the point.
The team was constantly doing things before they became emergencies.
⸻
2:30 pm.
By lunchtime, everyone was tired.
Not exhausted.
Just worn down in the familiar way that came from spending hours in the sun, constantly scanning moving water and crowds.
The juniors had settled.
Kimi no longer needed reminding to check the southern boundary. And Isack had started making his own observations before Max asked.
Gabi had learned exactly how quickly the western section could change while Jack was getting used to the tower, and Franco could now use the radio like it was second nature.
The equipment station was busy.
Boards were being rinsed.
Rescue tubes returned to their hooks.
The Rhino sat ready near the waterline.
Nobody needed it at the moment.
That was good.
George sat briefly on the edge of the equipment station while Kimi handed him a new radio battery.
“Thanks.”
“No problem.”
__
In the tower, Gabi was drinking half a bottle of water in one go.
Lando looked at him.
“You’ve had water today, right?”
Gabi paused.
“Probably.”
“That doesn’t sound convincing.”
“I had coffee.”
“Mate we don’t need another passing out due to dehydration.”
“Didn’t u drink like 3 cans of monster already?” Charles chimed in from the back.
Lando looked at him.
“That doesn’t count.”
“Mhmm”
“Anyways, Gabi just make sure to drink water at a point”
“Alright”
They then headed back towards the north section.
Above them, the flags moved steadily in the wind.
The beach was still full.
The water was still busy.
The radios were still on.
And beyond the swimmers, currents continued to pull silently away from the shore.