DADADEL
The Kiss of Life is an iconic photograph that goes beyond its captured moment. It serves as a poignant reminder of life’s vulnerability and the significance of human interaction.
Rocco Morabito took the photo in 1967, winning a Pulitzer Prize at the time. Even after over 50 years, it continues to display humanity’s resilience and beauty in the face of danger.
The Kiss of Life, 1967, colorized
During a routine power line inspection in Texas, J.D. Thompson and Randall G. Champion encountered a dangerous situation. Champion accidentally touched a low-voltage line, causing him to stop breathing. Though he was wearing a safety harness, he was left hanging at the top of the pole.
Without hesitation, Thompson initiated mouth-to-mouth resuscitation on his colleague and sustained it until he felt a faint pulse, as he was not equipped to perform CPR. Right after the photo was captured, he exclaimed “He’s breathing,” then proceeded to unbuckle Champion’s safety harness and lower him to the ground. There, another worker took over and administered CPR.
The original of The Kiss of Life, 1967, is in black & white
Champion’s life was saved due to the swift and courageous actions of Thompson and his colleagues. By the time the paramedics arrived, Champion had regained consciousness and eventually made a complete recovery, enjoying another 35 years of life.
Although Thompson was regarded as a hero on that fateful day, he humbly rejects such praise by stating that anyone in his position would have acted the same. According to him, similar acts of bravery have occurred numerous times in the past, only without the benefit of being captured in a photograph.
He said: “If there were other people there, if I hadn’t gotten there first, they would have done the exact same thing I did. It’s been done many times before — people’s lives were saved, but there were no pictures.”
In 1988, Rocco Morabito proudly grasped his prize-winning photograph.
Rocco Morabito, a journalist for the Jacksonville Journal, was coming back from his coverage of a railroad strike. As he spotted a worker hanging from a pole he alerted the newspaper to dispatch an ambulance, and upon taking the photograph, he notified them once again, stating: “You may want to wait for this. I think I’ve got a pretty good one.”
Despite the looming deadline, The Journal made sure to publish Rocco’s photograph with a title that would stick: The Kiss of Life. The image was circulated in newspapers globally and earned the prestigious Pulitzer Prize in 1968, the highest recognition in the field of journalism. Over 50 years have passed, but the photo’s impact still endures today.
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