A courageous 14-year-old girl was wounded in the thigh while heroically protecting two toddlers during a shooting incident at Bondi Beach.

The young heroine, whose identity is protected for legal reasons, acted instinctively when gunfire erupted, allegedly from a father and son duo on Sunday.

“She heard a mother pleading for help after being shot. Without hesitation, she went to shield the toddlers and was hit by a bullet,” said family friend Dovid Leider, speaking to 9News.

The girl is now recovering in the hospital.

Leider, who traveled from Los Angeles to Sydney to support her, described her as someone who “always puts others before herself.”

Today, Bondi Beach reopened to the public as police removed the crime scene barriers.

Dozens of people walked and examined Archer Park and the footbridge that the alleged gunmen used, and swimmers returned to the water.

An elderly couple, who were captured on video ducking behind cans just metres away from one of the gunmen, returned to the site.

“When I’m standing here today, and I see just how close we were to that footbridge, I’m just shocked,” Benyomin Simons said. 

They managed to stay out of sight and found an empty van to hide inside.

“My wife saw this van, and the door was wide open, with nobody in it and went into this camper van and closed the door,” Simons said.

Survivor Arsen Ostrovsky was swathed in bloodied bandages after being shot on Sunday and today said it was a “miracle” he survived.

“The bullet grazed my head, you could see the bone,” he said.

More people have been discharged from hospitals across Sydney, including all the children who were injured.

Sixteen people remained in hospital as of 4pm today, five in critical condition and 11 who are stable.