Pip Edwards details terrifying moment she hid under vehicle during Bondi attack
Fashion designer Pip Edwards and other socialites went from posting beach selfies to cowering under vans as armed attackers turned Bondi Beach into a scene of absolute chaos and terror.
Bondi socialites were among those caught up in the devastating Bondi Beach attack, with several sharing harrowing first-hand accounts of the chaos.
Pip Edwards has detailed the terrifying moment she and a friend were “surrounded by gunmen” and forced to hide beneath a vehicle as the incident unfolded.
Just over an hour before the attack, Edwards had shared a series of selfies from the beach, where she was spending time with her friend Jess Engles.
After news of the shooting broke, Engles posted a statement to her Instagram Story, which Edwards later re-shared.
“Hi. Me and Pip are not injured. We were surrounded by the gunmen hiding under a van. Our car, plus others around us, were shot,” Engles wrote.
“We saw their feet and guns in front of our van.
“I cannot elaborate now. Please don’t contact me about this right now.”
A clearly shaken Edwards shared a detailed account of the terrifying moments she says unfolded just metres from where she and her girlfriend had taken cover.
The mother-of-one described being paralysed with fear as bullets struck nearby cars, including the van they were hiding beneath.
“I was convulsing with fear, trapped, thinking this was it for us,” she wrote.
“All we could do was hold onto each other, squeezing together so close, in hope.”
“I am so lucky to have my girlfriend Jess with me through this.”
“She was protecting me the whole way, heroic and calm, trying to keep me together.”
The designer said they remained hidden for approximately 15 minutes, barely breathing for fear of being heard, until the gunfire stopped.
Media personality and Bondi local Katie Williams was also nearby, just metres from the scene.
“I was in the public bathrooms to the left of the shootings, within 50 metres. They were not safe. People panicked, there were shouts of a mass shooting and terror attack,” she said.
“We had no idea how many gunmen there were. Multiple gunshots were going off, with yelling and sirens everywhere.
“I ran into Sean’s in North Bondi where other civilians were hiding. We hid for about an hour.”
Williams later rode her bike home once the area was deemed safe. Amid the chaos, Bondi lifeguards were among the first responders, running directly toward danger to help the injured.
Lifeguard Clint Kimmins paid tribute to his colleagues, stressing the extraordinary risks they took.
“Running barefoot into live gunfire with trauma kits and first aid equipment is heroic,” Kimmins said, praising the courage of staff who rushed to the scene despite the danger.
He was proud to stand alongside lifeguards who acted “without hesitation, ego or expectation” as lives hung in the balance.
Influencers Lily Bowman and Emily Brogan were picnicking on the grass moments before shots were fired, later sharing how narrowly they escaped harm.
Bowman said footage taken just seconds before the gunshots began was “chilling”, adding that she felt sickened by the “terrifying and evil” nature of the attack.
Media personality and Bondi resident Abbie Chatfield confirmed she and her partner, musician Adam Hyde, were safe before urging social media users to act with compassion and restraint.
She reflected on the toll the attack has taken on the community, reminding followers that many locals are still recovering from the trauma of the Bondi Junction stabbings in 2024.
“Our Bondi community has endured so much,” she said, asking people not to share graphic footage that could further traumatise those affected.
“People who were directly impacted do not need to see that footage.”
She rejected stereotypes about the area, saying Bondi was far from superficial.
“This part of the world is a true community full of people from all ages, all life paths, all cultures and countries,” she said. “It’s full of families, business owners and people who have been here for generations.”
Chatfield also condemned the anti-Semitic nature of the attack, describing herself as “beyond sickened” and offering support to the Jewish community, which she described as “one of the foundations of Bondi”.
Tammy Hembrow said the violence shattered Australia’s sense of safety, writing that the country had always felt like a safe place for families and children.
Model Harmony Butcher described Bondi as “our home”, saying she was devastated and in shock while holding space for victims and their loved ones.
Supermodel Georgia Fowler said she was “absolutely shattered” for her family, friends and the Jewish community, both locally and abroad, adding there were “no words” to describe the heartbreak.
Model and Byron Bay socialite Ruby Tuesday Matthews reflected on the lasting trauma such violence leaves behind, acknowledging the heroes who risked their lives to protect others and urging parents to protect children from distressing content.
Actor Keiynan Lonsdale called for unity, saying the attack did not represent the city or its values.
“This is not who we are,” he said. “Let us not be divided further, but be brought together deeper.”
Other influencers, socialites and media personalities including Elle Ferguson, Tash Oakley, Sarah Stephens, Emilee Hembrow, Bobbie Houston, Tahlia Skaines, Brain Chouston and Steph Claire Smith.
Originally published as Pip Edwards details terrifying moment she hid under vehicle during Bondi attack
