Christmas Eve and day are traditionally extremely busy on Bondi and this year is even worse. Especially tourists and drunks get into trouble by the dozens. Many lifeguards generously sacrifice their own family merriment, seeking some compensation together and with free seasonal beach entertainment. Yates even dresses up as Santa. They all stay hours after their official shifts, knowing drowning can't be prevented otherwise.
Bondi faces its wettest, coldest Christmas in decades. Santa Yates surfs, skateboards and break-dances, only a day earlier, before the crowd flees. Playful recruit Taco (18) still pays his dues and is trained, with Maxi as mentor. Reidy and swimming champion Spot Anderson are mistakenly believed in need of rescue.
