'I'm no hero': Men fought off Bondi killer armed with just a bollard

Two men who bravely fought off the Bondi killer before leading a police officer to his location have shared their shock at the violence.

Two men who confronted the Bondi Junction knifeman armed only with bollards have been identified as two migrants from France.

Damien Guerot and Silas Despreaux were at Bondi Westfield to attend a gym when 40-year-old Joel Cauchi, wielding a knife, embarked on his rampage.

Footage that emerged in the wake of the attack showed Mr Guerot facing off against Cauchi at the top of an escalator. The Daily Telegraph reports he was preventing the attacker from reaching an area where dozens of children had been playing.

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Damien Guerot was captured on video confronting Joel Cauchi while holding a bollard. Picture: Supplied

Mr Despreaux also confronted Cauchi with a bollard during the attack, and the two Frenchman are believed to have helped lead police officer Amy Scott to his location, at which point she shot him, ending his spree of violence.

“He’s OK, just shaken,” a friend told the newspaper of Mr Despreaux.

“He says he is no hero, he is just an ordinary guy.

“He isn’t able to talk about it much.”

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"Standing ovation for Bollard Man"

In the footage that was widely shared after the attack, Mr Guerot could be seen fending off the knifeman from the top of an escalator.

He was hailed as a hero on social media, where he was dubbed “Bollard Man”.

“Standing ovation for Bollard Man at the Bondi Westfield stabbing,” reporter Josh Butler wrote on X.

Six people were killed, as well as the attacker, with many more injured during a mass stabbing inside the packed shopping centre in Sydney’s eastern suburbs.

An alarm was heard blaring as the centre went into lockdown, with people seen fleeing.

RELATED: 'Loving a monster': Bondi killer's parents speak out on son's 'truly horrific' act

Father bravely confronts man armed with knife

In another horror incident, the suspect was seen walking towards a family.

Another man, believed to be a father, bravely confronted the suspect, who was armed with a large knife.

RELATED: Tragic way man learned his fiancee was a victim of horrific Bondi attack

Silas Despreaux, who also confronted Joel Cauchi, said the two men were "shaken", but OK. Picture: Instagram

Instead of running away, the father protected his family by walking towards the attacker, who skipped off in a different direction.

The horror unfolded at 4pm on Saturday afternoon when witnesses say a man began stabbing shoppers at random, including a woman and her nine-month-old baby, before being shot dead by police.

Panicked families have described running for their lives as tactical police stormed the shopping centre.

Police were seen battling to save victims’ lives across multiple stores, witnesses said, with blood splattered throughout the once bustling mall.

Footage and photos have been shared on social media showing bloodied people lying on the floor.

The rampage ended when the attacker was fatally shot three times by a female police officer.

Originally published as 'I'm no hero': Men fought off Bondi killer armed with just a bollard