‘Not everyone survives’: After a two-year break, Bondi Rescue is back

Things haven’t been quite the same down at Bondi Beach since veteran lifeguard Bruce “Hoppo” Hopkins last spoke to this masthead.

That summer of 2018-19 was the last time conditions on Australia’s busiest bathing strip were anywhere near normal, with a summer of bushfires and two years of pandemic lockdowns topped off by La Nina’s washed out summer of 2021-22.

Bondi Rescue’s Bruce “Hoppo” Hopkins says the show’s water safety message appears to be getting through.

But this most recent Christmas Day, where Bondi Rescue’s 17th season begins after a two-year hiatus, the beach was back in business, with 30,000-strong crowds under a blazing sun. While there were more than enough dramatic rescues to make for a bumper series, Hopkins is pleased to report water safety messages appear to be getting through.

“Our rescues were down this season,” says Hopkins, an original face of Ten’s long-running observational series. “Conditions weren’t too bad, so that was on our side. On Christmas Day, we had a few rescues, but people have been listening to the Float to Survive messaging [around rips] and not trying to swim back to where they came from, and just going with the flow, and basically saving themselves.”

Viewers should be warned that, as in previous seasons, drownings can end up in the final edit.

“It’s never nice when you’ve pulled someone from the water and there’s a resuscitation or a heart attack,” says Hopkins. “It’s always tough on the lifeguards. You’re a first responder, and sometimes you do lose the person. We’ve realised over the years that while we’re trained physically for the job, we’ve got to train mentally as well. Back in the 1990s and early 2000s, it was a pat on the back and go and have a beer after work. It’s only in the last five years that mental health is something that’s addressed.”

The cast of Bondi Rescue 2023. Despite the show’s popularity, it is difficult finding people who want to work as professional lifeguards.

Producer Ciaran Flannery, who was lured from the grey skies of London to work on the series and never looked back, says there is strict protocol around the coverage of death.

“Sadly, not everyone survives,” he says. “Fortunately, we’ve had scenarios where people have been rescued, and in one instance, a very young baby. There’s extensive consultation with the families, the police, the NSW Ambulance service. There’s constant dialogue about whether you cover a story. In many instances, it’s in the interests of some families to serve the wider interests of the community. If you do show these stories, it’s as a warning. It’s about being ethical and not just chasing drama.”

Another change at Bondi is the absence of female lifeguards. The sole female member of the 2018 team resigned during the pandemic. Hopkins says the service in general struggles to attract women.

“It’s probably a combination of reasons,” says Hopkins. “It’s a hard job, day to day, on the beach, and the physical tests are tough. We try to get females to apply. With the guys, too, we find it’s harder each year to find people. I think it’s because of the skill level required too. As we get better and more professional, it makes it even more difficult for people outside to apply.”

There is a push for a lifeguard academy.

“If you’re going to be an electrician or a plumber, you go to TAFE, whereas with us, there’s nowhere else you can learn. It just comes from being at the beach and growing up at the beach and trying to get those skills.”

After spending more of his 20 years on the job on camera than off, Hopkins is used to locals and international tourists asking for selfies. He still feels “funny” watching himself on TV.

“It’s satisfying, though, because it shows what we do as lifeguards and the amount of people we save,” he says. “I remember someone asked me once, ‘Have you ever thought about how many generations you have saved? Because if you hadn’t saved that person, they wouldn’t have gone on had kids.’ I hadn’t thought of it that way.”

Bondi Rescue 2023 returns on Friday, April 14, at 7.30pm on Ten.

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