Most Iconic Photos In History
A Utility Worker Tries to Resuscitate his Coworker.
Above is a photograph taken in 1967 of a pair of utility workers, one attempting to save the life of the other. The duo of Randall Champion and J. D. Thompson had been sent up the electric pole to perform a routine checkup.
What was meant to be a by the numbers maintenance run turned tragic when Champion’s arm brushed against a deadly high voltage wire. He was immediately rendered unconscious and began to fall from his perch but was luckily saved from the fall by his safety harness. Even luckier was that his associate had seen the problem and rushed over to lend his aid. Thompson immediately made his way over to the hanging figure of Champion. Some quick thinking produced the idea that mouth to mouth would be the best course of action. CPR was impossible because of the multitude of harnesses and safety gear Champion was wearing, so Thompson continuously attempted to resuscitate his comrade.
Eventually, Thompson felt a pulse again, so he unbuckled Champion and took him down to the ground where CPR was performed on him immediately. Champion managed to hang on until the paramedics arrived, then he was transported to the hospital. Thanks to his friend, Champion made a full recovery and lived on happily past this accident until he passed away in 2002. Thompson was recognized as a hero for his deeds and happens to still be alive to this day. This photograph was taken by a passerby reporter named Rocco Morabito, and his emotional capturing of the incident landed him the Pulitzer Prize in 1968. The picture is called, “The Kiss of Life.”
Writer / Quiz Creator
Andrew Nicholas is a passionate reader and writer on the subjects of history and mankind. He is a published author, critic, and poet who grew up in the friendly scenery of rural Ohio. He is a graduate of Wright State University and a regular student of historical curiosities.