Ex-England cricketer recounts 'terrifying' Bondi Beach attack in Sydney

Former England captain Michael Vaughan described being locked down with his family near Bondi Beach during the terror attack that killed 15 people and shocked Australia

Former England cricket captain Michael Vaughan has described the terror of being just hundreds of metres away from the Bondi Beach shooting, saying hearing the attack unfold was “terrifying” and unlike anything he had experienced before.

 

Vaughan, who is in Australia covering the Ashes, was having dinner with his family in the neighbouring suburb of Coogee when two gunmen opened fire at a Hanukkah celebration on Bondi Beach on Sunday evening. The antisemitic attack killed 15 people, including a child, and left at least 42 others injured, several critically.

 

“To be so close that you can hear it happening is terrifying,” Vaughan wrote in an opinion piece for The Telegraph, recounting how he, his wife, his daughters and relatives were locked down inside Totti’s restaurant for nearly two hours as the situation unfolded nearby.

 

Confusion, sirens and a sudden lockdown

 

Vaughan said he initially mistook the blare of sirens for a shark alert, a common sound along Sydney’s beaches. “Usually, when you hear that sound on the beach, it’s sharks or a couple of well-oiled blokes brawling,” he wrote.

 

The reality soon became clear. While standing outside a nearby pub, Vaughan said a bouncer approached him, mimicked a gun with his hands and told him to get inside immediately. Soon after, restaurant doors were locked and diners were told no one could leave until it was safe.

 

“That was about 7 pm, and we did not leave until almost 9 pm,” he said, describing a sombre atmosphere inside as rumours spread on social media and families tried to stay calm.

 

“There were six of us... Obviously, I was trying to stay as calm as possible because the youngsters know what is happening, and you don’t want to give them anything else to fear,” Vaughan wrote. 

 

‘We could have been on that beach’

 

It was only the following day, Vaughan said, that the full weight of what had happened began to sink in. The family had earlier been watching his son play cricket, a delay that altered their plans.

 

“We could easily have gone down to the beach rather than straight to the pub and restaurant,” he wrote. “You think that we could have been sat on that beach.”

 

Police said emergency services were called to Bondi Beach at about 6.45 pm after reports of shots fired. Video footage showed people fleeing in panic as gunmen fired from a footbridge overlooking the beach, where hundreds had gathered for the 'Chanukah by the Sea' event marking the start of Hanukkah. 

 

Deadliest shooting in Australia in decades

 

Authorities later confirmed the attackers were a father and son, aged 50 and 24. The older gunman, Sajid Akram, was shot dead by police at the scene, while his son Naveed remains in hospital.

 

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese called the shooting “an act of pure evil, an act of antisemitism, an act of terrorism on our shores” that struck at the heart of Australia. New South Wales Premier Chris Minns said the victims were aged between 10 and 87.

 

Two improvised explosive devices were also found at the scene and later rendered safe by bomb disposal experts.

 

Michael Vaughan hails 'hero' shopkeeper

 

Vaughan singled out the actions of a civilian who tackled and disarmed one of the gunmen, crediting him with saving lives. “You can only imagine what could have happened if that civilian had not taken the gun off the terrorist, and disarmed him. What a hero,” he wrote.

 

The man was later identified by relatives as Ahmed al Ahmed, a Sydney shop owner who was shot twice during the attack and remains in hospital.

 

'Targeting Jewish people celebrating Hanukkah is hideous'

 

Vaughan said the choice of target made the attack especially disturbing. “To target Jewish people celebrating Hanukkah is hideous,” he wrote. “People just trying to celebrate a special time of year together on a Sunday.”

 

He added that Bondi Beach symbolised Australia’s openness and diversity. “It’s the haven of chill, and a symbol of this great country,” he said. “It’s multicultural, young and old, a place for everyone.”