Narrow escape for Singaporean family of 6 when gunmen attacked Sydney’s Bondi Beach
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Ms Karin Lee and her husband, Dr Edward Wong, with their three daughters and son.
PHOTO: COURTESY OF KARIN LEE
Follow topic:
- A Singaporean family of six was caught in a terror attack at Bondi Beach in Sydney on Dec 14, where gunmen killed 16.
- The family heard gunshots and fled, managing to stay together save for a few minutes when they lost sight of one of their daughters.
- A local couple sheltered the family, offering refuge and transport back to their hotel. The family is grateful to be safe despite being shaken.
AI generated
SINGAPORE – A Singaporean family of six holidaying in Sydney found themselves in the middle of a terror attack on Dec 14 when gunmen fired on beachgoers
Recalling the harrowing experience, Ms Karin Lee, 44, and Dr Edward Wong, 49, told The Straits Times in a phone interview several hours later that they reached the famous beach at about 1pm local time (10am Singapore time) with their triplet daughters, 12, and son aged five.
The family had been in the Australian city since Dec 6 to celebrate the girls’ completion of the PSLE, and were slated to return home on Dec 15.
It was a very peaceful and sunny day when they arrived at the beach, said Ms Lee, adding that she saw many families with young children having a good time.
Once the family had set up their belongings in the middle of the beach, the children went to play in the water.
About five hours later, the family decided to pack up when they suddenly heard loud sounds that seemed like gunshots.
Dr Wong’s first thought was: This is not normal.
“The gunshots went on for a while. Then we noticed seagulls were flying away and people were panicking. We could also hear police sirens, ambulances and car horns in the distance. That’s when I knew something was definitely wrong,” said Dr Wong, who is a dentist.
A screengrab from a video showing beachgoers fleeing Bondi Beach in Sydney after gunmen opened fire there on Dec 14.
PHOTO: AFP
He immediately sprang into action to get the children to safety. His wife, who had stepped away to use the toilet a few minutes before, returned just in time and the family began running.
According to Reuters, witnesses said the shooting lasted about 10 minutes, sending around 1,000 people there scattering into nearby streets and parks.
There was no time to gather the family’s personal belongings or clothes, said Ms Lee, who is a kindergarten teaching assistant.
“We had only our wallets, phones, cards, money – things that were already on us. We left our boy’s stroller, bags and shopping, and left the beach without shoes,” she said, noting that, most importantly, their passports were with them too.
Dr Wong said: “We were running, or at least trying to. With the sand, there was not much movement and it was so difficult.”
Amid the chaos, there was a moment when they lost sight of one of their daughters.
Emergency workers transporting a person by stretcher from the scene of the mass shooting at Bondi Beach.
PHOTO: MATTHEW ABBOTT/NYTIMES
She was almost trapped in what seemed like a stampede, and although it was for just a few minutes, Ms Lee said it felt like an eternity.
The six of them ran till they reached the top of a hill, where police officers had arrived and were gesturing to the crowd to keep running to safer areas.
Ms Lee recalled: “We don’t even know how long or how far we ran. I even got a cramp from the running.”
When they stopped at an entrance of a block of flats to hide, they heard a local couple from a second-floor unit call out to them and another woman to come into their home for refuge.
They took up the offer and stayed inside the house for a few hours while the situation calmed down. They then learnt from the news that there had been a terrorist attack.
“The couple were so kind to us, offering us water and shelter in that moment. The man even drove us back to our hotel because so many of the roads were closed. It was so scary, but we are so thankful for them. It was a godsend to have met them,” said Dr Wong.
The shooting occurred during a Jewish holiday event at the beach. Of the 40 who were wounded, two were police officers.
Members of Ms Karin Lee’s family watching the news on TV at the home of a local couple who had offered them refuge for updates of the Bondi Beach shooting.
PHOTO: COURTESY OF KARIN LEE
According to Reuters, one suspected gunman was killed and another was in a critical condition.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese condemned the attack later on Dec 14, saying the evil that was unleashed was “beyond comprehension”.
A screengrab from a video showing two gunmen dressed in black firing multiple shots from a bridge at Bondi Beach in Sydney on Dec 14.
PHOTO: AFP
As the beach has been closed for investigations, Dr Wong’s aunt, who lives in Sydney, has agreed to help the family collect their belongings.
Dr Wong said the trip, which was the family’s first time to Australia, was still an “amazing one”, except that the timing happened to be bad.
“The kids are still shaken up but fine. We have been messaging our friends and family back home who have read the news. We are just grateful for the couple who sheltered us and God for being safe,” said the couple.
