When there’s electricity during a kiss, that’s usually a good sign. In this case, it was literally life-saving.
Back in Jacksonville, FL, in 1967, co-workers J.D. Thompson and Randall Champion went out on a routine maintenance check on some power lines. But the turn of events was anything but routine. Randall had accidentally touched some low voltage lines. This accidental touch electrified him, causing his heart to stop and him to go unconscious. Thankfully, Randall’s harness caught him when he fell. J.D. got to Randall and gave him mouth-to-mouth. He then carried him down to the ground to perform CPR until the paramedics arrived.
Randall survived thanks to the quick response and life-saving efforts made by J.D.
The photographer, Rocco Morabito, was able to capture this moment because he was driving to work when he saw Randall dangling lifeless from the pole. He showed an impressive display of multi-tasking – calling an ambulance and snapping an iconic photo.
This photo, which was later named, “The Kiss of Life ” won Rocco the 1968 Pulitzer Prize for Spot News Photography.
Luckily, Randall Champion had an amazingly brave co-worker who didn’t hesitate to spring to his aid, saving his life and allowing him to live another 35 years. It’s also incredibly lucky timing that a talented photographer had passed this scene and was able to capture such a surreal moment of real-life heroism.
