Rocco Morabito’s photography won the Pulitzer Prize in 1968 and today it still moves those who read his incredible story around the world.
This article tells the story of a portrait artist who, in July 1967, was bored driving his car near West 26th Street, when a stroke of luck turned his career into success.
Rocco Morabito , a photographer for the Jacksonville Journal, was on his way to cover a minor event when it all happened.
Two electrical operators were performing routine maintenance on the power grid when one of the professionals, named
Champion , ended up touching one of the high-voltage lines at the top of the pole. According to UOL, Champion received more than 4,000 volts of electric shock in his body. The electrician’s heart stopped beating immediately.
To give you an idea, an electric chair uses the equivalent of 2,000 volts. Luckily, Champion was restrained by the safety belt and had his co-worker nearby at the time of the accident.
Thompson , who was working on the ladder below his co-worker when the incident occurred, quickly began to
provide first aid , giving Champion mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.
It was at that exact moment that Rocco Morabito’s attention was focused directly on the commotion that the accident caused among those passing by. The
photographer instinctively stopped his car, grabbed his camera and began recording Thompson’s attempt to save his colleague. Fortunately, Champion showed signs of life shortly after being rescued by his companion and bystanders before the ambulance arrived and took control of the situation.
Threatened with being fired for not covering the event he was assigned to, Rocco Morabito was saved by the photo he took of the two electricians. The photograph was published in newspapers around the world and won the Pulitzer Prize in 1968. The portrait photographer’s chief editor called the photo the
“kiss of life . “
