Bondi Rescue lifeguard reveals hit show’s secret plight: ‘They don’t show it’

One of the lifeguards who starred on Bondi Rescue has revealed the cast’s secret struggle that doesn’t make it to air. Warning: Sensitive content.

WARNING: Sensitive content

Former Bondi Rescue star Clint Kimmins has opened up about the cast’s hidden struggle during filming of the long-running show.

The triathlete from the Gold Coast, who was sacked from the hit series last year over controversial vaccine mandates, starred on the Channel 10 reality show for four years, and has revealed a major part of his job that never made it to air.

Kimmins, affectionately known as ‘Clipper’, sat down on the Good Humans podcast to talk about how often the team of Bondi lifeguards were confronted with suicides at the famous Australian beach.

“It’s not a story I like to tell but I think it’s a very important thing to say, is the mental health and the suicides,” Kimmins said.

“On Bondi Rescue, they don’t show any of the suicide stuff, they don’t show any of the mental health stuff.

“The things that we were dealing with, especially throughout Covid, the mental health thing … You’ve got young lifeguards going around on jet skis doing body retrievals … And it’s ugly. It’s not healthy at all.”

Bondi Rescue star Clint Kimmins has revealed the emotional scenes that don't make it to air.

Clipper paid tribute to his lifeguard colleagues who often face confronting scenes.

There are strict guidelines in place for media outlets when reporting on suicide, which includes omitting methods.

CJZ production company, which produces Bondi Rescue, refuted Kimmins’ claim in a statement to news.com.au, arguing the series touched on suicide “a number of times” over 16 seasons.

“It’s an incredibly sensitive topic which is traumatic for all concerned, including the lifeguards,” Executive Producer Michael Cordell said.

“Bondi Rescue doesn’t shy away from difficult stories, but it’s simply not appropriate for us to cover every body retrieval the lifeguards undertake.

“However, I certainly believe we’ve changed the public’s perception of lifeguarding by showing the mental strain lifeguards experience when confronted with a drowning, or a near death rescue. It’s not all sun, sand and good times.

“The lifeguards are highly experienced first responders and face challenging situations all the time. That’s one of the reasons the lifeguards are so popular with the general public.“

Kimmins, aka ‘Clipper’, said the lifeguards experienced ‘traumatic’ days on the job, which weren’t often shown on-air.

Kimmins had earlier claimed the show rarely followed the lifeguards on their own personal journeys after a difficult day on the job.

“Those lifeguards down there do such a good job of protecting not only the people in the water, but the community. If there’s a car crash, those guys are running across the road barefoot to pull out people,” Kimmins added.

“Even though they’ve got a reality TV show that runs around it that shows a lot of the goofing off, they never really show a lot of the heavy stuff that goes on, like how we go away and deal with these really traumatic events.”

Bondi Rescue is set to return to screens this year with its 17th season.

Kimmins, who moved back to the Gold Coast last year after losing his job at Bondi, previously hit out at the local Waverley council for how brutally it handled his sacking.

The lifeguard was one of a handful of regulars to be let go after neglecting to comply with vaccine mandates. He claimed those who failed to show proof of vaccination were dismissed from their role via a blunt email from the council.

“We were on the frontline throughout the pandemic when they made us close the beaches and we’ve been left covered in blood from rescuing people and doing suicide retrievals,” Kimmins told The Courier-Mail in July.

“To be treated this way is hugely disappointing. I just think the whole thing’s been poorly handled – people should be being kind to each other at this time.”

Bondi Rescue is set to return to screens this year for its 17th season.

Originally published as Bondi Rescue lifeguard reveals hit show’s secret plight: ‘They don’t show it’