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Irish reality star Nathan Gallagher has been labelled a hero for his fearless actions during the Bondi Beach terrorist atrocity that claimed fifteen lives on Sunday.
The Sydney landmark was the scene of bloodshed after two gunman, named as Sajid and Naveed Akram, opened fire on crowds of more than 1,000 people as they celebrated Hanukkah in the Archer Park area of coastal Bondi.
Sajid, 50, was shot dead by police at the scene, while 24-year old Naveed – understood to be his son – has been charged with 59 offences – including 15 counts of murder and committing a terrorist attack.
Gallagher, known for his appearances on popular TV show Below Deck Mediterranean, has since been credited for his actions on the day after using his boat to ferry people to safety.
The Irishman, who comes from County Donegal and works in the yachting industry, was occupying a boat close to the beach when gunshots rang out on Sunday.
Quick-thinking Gallagher subsequently headed to shore, where he loaded his boat with terrified beachgoers and moved them away from the carnage.
Irish reality star Nathan Gallagher has been labelled a hero for his fearless actions during the Bondi Beach terrorist atrocity that claimed fifteen lives on Sunday
The Sydneylandmark was the scene of bloodshed after two gunman, named as Sajid and Naveed Akram, opened fire on crowds of more than 1,000 people as they celebrated Hanukkah
Taking to instagram following the incident, he wrote: ‘Brought people off the beach/water and headed out to sea. Terrifying and disgusting behaviour.’
The TV personality’s mother Noreen later added her voice to a chorus of tributes by praising her son for his selfless actions on the day.
‘So proud of you,’ she wrote. ‘You thought about people’s safety before your own.’
Akram and his father Sajid are accused of opening fire on crowds of more than 1,000 people as they celebrated Hanukkah in the Archer Park area of Bondi Beach in Australia on Sunday evening.
Naveed woke from a coma on Tuesday and was charged with 59 offences – including 15 counts of murder and committing a terrorist attack.
A spokesman for the New South Wales courts service said that a hearing had taken place on Wednesday, where no application for bail was made.
The case was adjourned until April 8 for a mention hearing, and has also been listed on December 22 this year for a hearing to deal with reporting and disclosure restrictions.
Along with the murders, he is accused of 40 counts of causing wounding/grievous bodily harm to a person with intent to murder, discharging a firearm intending to cause grievous bodily harm, a public display of a prohibited terrorist organisation symbol and placing an explosive in/near a building with the intent to cause harm.
Gallagher, known for his appearances on popular TV show Below Deck Mediterranean, has since been credited for his actions on the day after using his boat to ferry people to safety
A general view of Bondi Beach, the morning after 15 people were shot dead during a terrorist atrocity in the Archer Park area of the suburb
The first funerals of the victims took place on Wednesday, including that of London-born Rabbi Eli Schlanger.
Father-of-five Schlanger, 41, grew up in Temple Fortune, north London, and his funeral service took place at Chabad of Bondi, where he was assistant rabbi.
During a tearful address, his father-in-law, Rabbi Yehoram Ulman, told the congregation it was “unthinkable we talk about you in the past tense”.
He said rabbis would continue a tradition on Sunday, the first night of Hanukkah, of lighting candles on Bondi Beach.
The funeral of Rabbi Yaakov Levitan was taking place later on Wednesday.
One of the two police officers injured in the attack has been named as probationary constable Jack Hibbert, 22.
In a statement, his family said he had been patrolling the Hanukkah celebration at Bondi when he was shot twice, once in his head and once in his shoulder, and had lost vision in one eye.
Mourners pay their respects to victims of the Bondi shooting, which has been labelled an anti semitic terror attack
Twenty people remain in Sydney hospitals after being injured in the shooting, NSW Health confirmed (pictured: Mourners on Bondi Beach)
‘Jack is just 22 years old and has only been in the police force for four months,’ the family statement said.
‘In the face of a violent and tragic incident, he responded with courage, instinct, and selflessness, continuing to protect and help others whilst injured, until he was physically no longer able to.
‘Jack was simply doing his job – a job he deeply loves – driven by a commitment to protect the community, even at great personal cost.’
New South Wales state police commissioner Mal Lanyon said Constable Scott Dyson, who was also injured in the attack, was in a critical and stable condition after undergoing further surgery on Wednesday.
Twenty people remain in Sydney hospitals after being injured in the shooting, NSW Health confirmed.
Speaking after visiting a Sydney hospital, Australian prime minister Anthony Albanese said: ‘We will hold people to account for what has occurred.
‘We will give whatever powers are necessary to our police forces, to our security and intelligence agencies arising from this act of terror and act of antisemitism that we saw play out on Sunday night.
‘We want to stamp out and eradicate antisemitism from our society. We want to also stamp out the evil ideology of what would appear to be, from the investigators, an Isis-inspired attack. That has no place, that sort of hatred.’