Bondi paddle-out: surfers, paddleboarders and swimmers pay tribute to victims of mass shooting

Hundreds of surfers and beach goers have returned to Bondi’s waters to pay tribute to those killed in Sunday’s mass shooting.Australia’s most famous beach has gradually reopened after gunmen opened fire on Hanukah celebrations, killing 15 people.On Thursday, lifesavers put up the first red and yellow flags signalling the surf was once again being patrolled. The park and bridge where the massacre took place were also reopened to the public, as police wrapped up their forensic examination of the scene.On Friday morning, just a few hundred metres away from the scene of the massacre, surfers, paddleboarders and others converged off the shores of Bondi in a show of solidarity.Surfers and swimmers paddle and swim out at Bondi beach. Photograph: David Gray/AFP/Getty Images“It’s just beautiful,” the executive council of Australian Jewry co-chief executive Alex Ryvchin told the ABC.“It’s a gorgeous day and you see that scene – I’ve seen paddle-outs before but never of that size.”Drone footage showed a huge circle of swimmers and surfers in the ocean, resting on the gentle waves, remembering the lost.It was the latest response in the outpouring of grief, which has also come with a swell of public support.More than $5m has been donated across various fundraisers, with more than 70,000 donations from people in more than 60 countries made to verified pages for victims, GoFundMe said.This includes $2.5m for Bondi hero Ahmed al-Ahmed, who wrestled a firearm from one of the gunmen before being shot twice in the arm.Hundreds take part the paddle-out at Bondi beach. Photograph: Audrey Richardson/Getty Images“I deserve it?” he asked, as he was presented with the oversized cheque.In a video posted to social media, he urged people across the world to “stand with each other, all human beings and forget everything bad … keep going to save lives”.The Police Association of NSW has also set up appeals for two officers injured in the attack, including one who could lose his vision permanently, that have reached nearly $750,000.More than 25,000 blood donations have been made since an appeal for help from Lifeblood after the attack.About 90,000 Lifeblood appointments have been booked across Australia in a record-breaking show of support.