‘This is our church’: A multitude of Volunteer rescuers Assemble to Remember Tragedy The fallen.

Standing silently upon the waves on Bondi beach, hand in hand with close to a thousand fellow lifesavers, Lockie Cook opened up to the grief of a community’s harrowing week in living memory.

“I sense that protective wall is falling,” he remarked.

Surf lifesavers gathered in their hundreds on the weekend to observe two minutes’ silence and honour those who died in the previous weekend's violence.

Infants, elders, locals and classmates wearing their iconic colours stood together, forming a chain running from the crescent-shaped beach’s north end toward its southern tip.

“The most important aspect we've learned from this is just the depth to which this place signifies to me,” he expressed.

“This beach is our place of worship … It is vital we come together again and really heal.”

A Time of Silent Reflection

At 8.15am, the moment of quiet was announced by a voice at the beach’s primary observation point, behind which lie rows of floral memorials.

“A short time can be a a lengthy period but I urge you to reflect,” he urged.

“Link arms with the person next to you, shut your eyes and think about the those who are suffering so we can grow back stronger for this locality.”

Volunteers stared at their feet or to the ocean as residents, visitors and officials watched on. All that could be heard were the ocean's rhythm, a single barking dog and a droning rescue helicopter, which flew along the beachfront as the quiet ended.

Healing on the Sand

People gathered slowly turned to embrace and clap for their fellow lifesavers at the far end of the beach as cheers came from the watching crowd.

This was one more demonstration of the rescuers working to strengthen the area this week, stated one individual, a local of the northern surf club and a first responder on Sunday.

“Today I just feel the care and unity,” expressed the participant, who asked not to be named.

Having lived at Bondi for most of his years, he participated in the community swim on Monday and has sought to take back the beach as his own.

“It was like asserting a presence, it’s therapeutic,” he added.

The Guiding Spirit of Lifesaving

Gene Ross, a longtime lifesaving teacher, spent the quiet time next to his just-trained son, considering the solidarity his club had shown in the days following Sunday.

“The decision to enact the tragedy here … invited Australia to rally behind the individuals affected.”

Scores of lifesavers laughed and cried together as they made their way to their clubs and through the park where their colleagues performed rescues on Sunday.

A significant number lingered at the beach, on duty to help people going back into the water.

“We’re here for everybody and that’s the guiding spirit of lifesaving,” Ross stated.

“This is our purpose as volunteers: we run to the emergency.”