He Was Already Dead. Then His Coworker Did the Unthinkable.
In the summer of 1967, a man was hanging unconscious from a utility pole, his heart stopped, his body still charged with deadly electricity. People below could only watch.
Then his coworker climbed toward him and did something no one expected.
A single photograph captured that moment forever.
What followed would shock the world and redefine heroism.
A Routine Assignment Turned Fatal in Seconds
Photographer Rocco Morabito was heading to a boring local story when he noticed a crowd staring up at a power pole. At the top, electrician J.D. Champion had just touched a 4,000+ volt line. The shock stopped his heart instantly. Only a safety harness kept his body from falling. No ambulance. No ladder. No time.
One Coworker Refused to Watch Him Die
Another lineman, Randall G. Thompson, saw it happen. No panic. No hesitation. Knowing the line could kill him too, he climbed up the pole. Champion had no pulse. No breath. So Thompson did the unthinkable. Hanging high above the street, he began mouth-to-mouth resuscitation with nothing but instinct and courage.
The Photo That Captured Life Returning
Morabito raised his camera at the exact moment Thompson breathed life back into his coworker. Minutes later, Champion’s chest moved. His pulse returned. The image became known as “The Kiss of Life.” In 1968, it won the Pulitzer Prize and became one of the most powerful photos ever taken.
Why People Still Can’t Look Away
Champion survived. Thompson never called himself a hero. “I just reacted,” he said. That’s why this story still spreads today. One second. One choice. One person who acted when it mattered most. And one question every reader asks at the end:
Would I have climbed up too?
