A young woman from Edinburgh has described the terrifying moment she realised she was metres from gunmen who opened fire at Sydney's Bondi Beach, escaping the deadly rampage by a matter of seconds.
A Chilled Evening Turns to Chaos
Miya Lind, a 26-year-old from Edinburgh who moved to Sydney in May, had arranged to meet friends for a relaxed evening by the sea on Sunday, December 14. She lives just a 15-minute drive from the world-famous beach. Her plan for sunset photos turned into a nightmare when she crossed the bridge where the attackers began their spree.
"We were probably the last people to walk the bridge before they entered," Miya revealed. She estimates she was just 20 seconds ahead of the first gunshots. The initial sounds caused confusion. "We walked down the steps and straight away we heard the pops going off. We didn't really expect anything," she said.
The Desperate Flight for Safety
When her friend identified the noises as gunfire, they began to run. The scene rapidly descended into pandemonium. "I started to smell the gun powder, the smoking and burning smell. It sank in and people were running," Miya recounted. Dressed for the beach in flip-flops, she felt like she was "running in quicksand" as people barged past, dropping buggies and creating obstacles.
She became separated from her friend, a moment she described as terrifying. "I could see kids running who lost track of parents. It was just really horrible. I noticed people falling down behind me. There were more and more shots going off." In that moment, she believed the gunmen were directly behind her and feared she would not survive. "I remember thinking, 'I'm not going to get the chance to say goodbye to my family. I hope they know I love them'."
A Risky Retrieval and Haunting Scenes
Finding temporary shelter behind an ice cream van with dozens of others, Miya made a split-second, dangerous decision. She realised she had left her mobile phone behind. "I wasn't thinking straight. I ran out and grabbed my phone," she confessed, despite others shouting at her not to go back. Her thought was clear: "I just felt that I wasn't going to be able to say goodbye [without my phone]."
From her hiding place, the horror was inescapable. "We could still hear gunshots. I looked to my left and in a state of panic and shock, [I saw] blood pouring down the street. This guy had his whole arm covered with blood." After reuniting with her friend, they darted between street corners. Miya witnessed the full devastation: "a lot of blood, really gory stuff. People not moving, lifeless, people crying."
The attackers, father and son Sajid Akram, 50, and Naveed Akram, had targeted a Hanukkah event. The attack left 16 people dead and over 40 hospitalised. Sajid was shot dead by police, while his son was arrested and charged with 59 offences, including 15 counts of murder and committing a terrorist act.
Aftermath and Community Spirit
Eventually picked up by a friend, Miya's terror did not end at the beach. Back home, isolated as her partner was visiting family in Colombia, she experienced severe anxiety. "I woke up multiple times in the night hearing it again. Your body propels itself up in a total sweat and panic," she shared. Her mother, who had recently lost her own father, flew to Australia to support her.
Miya had moved to Australia seeking tranquillity after her grandfather's passing. "What was meant to be a tranquil spot turned into somewhere I felt unsafe," she said. Despite the trauma, she found solace in the community's response. "There's a lot of community support out here," Miya noted warmly. "The way they are spreading love and unity is beautiful."
She concluded with a message of resilience: "It's important we don't sit and fester in this fear and don't let [the attackers] win. Don't give them the chance to sit in our brains and not appreciate how nice this place is."
