In the summer of 1967, a quiet street in Jacksonville, Florida, became the stage for one of the most unforgettable moments in photojournalism. What started as an ordinary workday turned into a life-or-death scene captured forever in a single frame. That photo, later named “The Kiss of Life,” would become an iconic symbol of courage, instinct, and the power of split-second action.
The scene was intense: an unconscious electrical worker, J.D. Champion, dangled high above the street, held only by his safety harness. The air crackled with thousands of volts of electricity. His coworker, Randall Thompson, climbed the pole and performed mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, balancing on the narrow structure while danger loomed all around. Every second counted.
Rocco Morabito, a photographer for the Jacksonville Journal, wasn’t looking for history that day. He was on a routine assignment, bored, driving the familiar streets. Then he noticed the commotion near a utility pole—workers shouting, pedestrians frozen. Something was wrong. Very wrong.
Champion had accidentally touched a high-voltage line carrying over 4,000 volts. Instant unconsciousness. No pulse. No breathing. If not for the harness, he would have fallen immediately. Thompson reacted instinctively, climbing up and giving CPR in midair—an act of calm, precise heroism under unimaginable pressure.
Continue reading on next page…