Two heroes who were among the first responders in Bondi terrorist attack – James McIntosh and Alexandra Edmondson – fall in love and will marry this year
The two heroes, who were among the first responders to the Bondi terror attack, fell in love and will marry later this year.
Before December 14, romance was the last thing on content creator James McIntosh, 46, and physiotherapist Alexandra ‘Lexi’ Edmondson, 35, on their minds.
The pair were new friends who had just completed an eight-week surf lifesaving course together.
They were with another friend on their way to the Bondi Surf Club Christmas party when their lives changed forever.
Two alleged gunmen opened fire on the Jewish Hanukkah celebrations on the beach, where 15 people died and dozens were injured.
The two raced to provide first aid to seven victims, including a man who was shot in the leg.
A newspaper photo showed Mr. McIntosh and Ms. Edmondson helping several police officers carry the injured survivor to a makeshift triage area for further treatment.
Emotions emerged later as the duo took the injured man to the hospital.
James McIntosh and Alexandra ‘Lexi’ Edmondson were just friends before Bondi terror attack
The couple got engaged in Mexico on February 8
The pair (front row, white T-shirt and red-and-white top) were among the first responders to the Bondi terror attack
A kiss at a friend’s dinner two nights later started their whirlwind romance, and they moved in together the day after Christmas.
Mr McIntosh popped the question with a ring chosen by his new partner while holidaying in Mexico last month.
“We had already discussed the idea of marriage and had cleared it with our families,” he told the Daily Mail.
‘I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life.
‘She has such a beautiful soul and I’ve never had a connection like this with anyone.’
Neither was looking for a relationship during the bronze medallion surf lifesaving course, which they graduated from just days before the shooting.
“I instantly thought she was cute and adorable, but I firmly believed she was in her 20s and didn’t even think about pursuing her,” Mr. McIntosh recalled.
‘I thought we would just be friends.’
The couple kicked off their relationship and engagement on a rocky note on Valentine’s Day
The new couple spent three weeks in Mexico last month, just weeks after the Bondi shooting brought them together.
Ms Edmondson told The Weekend Australian: ‘We never dealt with each other that way; He thought I was really young, I thought maybe he was married.
‘It has truly filled my life with so much joy.’
Mr McIntosh recalled being in sight of the gunmen before rushing to help others administer first aid.
‘I had no idea at the time that dozens of people had been shot,’ he said.
‘Many people don’t realize that the lifeguards at the club are the first to grab defibrillators and get there first, providing critical life support.
‘I remember the relief Lexi and I felt when we walked out of there later on the way to the hospital.
‘Lexi was on the phone with her parents and I was amazed at the strength and energy they all had.’
Emotions developed rapidly in the following days.
Romance wasn’t on the agenda when Lexi and James first met
Happy couple plan to marry later this year after whirlwind romance
“We kept crashing into each other and our hearts cracked,” Mr McIntosh told the Daily Mail.
The couple was inundated with messages from well-wishers in their hometown when they announced their engagement on Valentine’s Day, just days after the sunset beach proposal.
The couple were among 80 Good Samaritans and first responders honored at last Friday’s Shabbat ceremony at the Bondi Central Synagogue; where Rabbi Levi Wolff proposed to marry them there after hearing the happy news.
They plan to get married in November and plan to start a family.
The couple will consider an offer to become the first non-Jewish couple to marry in the synagogue.
‘We’re very honored but we need to do more research into how this will happen,’ Mr McIntosh said.
‘But we like the idea that this could strengthen society in recovery.’
The news comes as the grieving family of 10-year-old Matilda Britvan, the youngest victim of the Bondi attack, announced a heartwarming development.
Matilda’s parents, Michael and Valentyna, married in front of family and close friends at Admiralty House on Saturday.
