In the summer of 1967, a single photograph captured an extraordinary act of courage and quick thinking.
An event that would not only save a man’s life but also cement the legacy of the photographer who witnessed it.
The image, later known as “The Kiss of Life,” is widely regarded as one of the most iconic photographs in the history of journalism.
It documents a split-second moment in which an electrical worker risked his own safety to revive a colleague who had made direct contact with a high-voltage line.
More than fifty years after it was first published, the photograph continues to captivate and move audiences around the world.
It serves as a timeless reminder of the bravery displayed by ordinary workers in extraordinary situations and highlights the power of photojournalism to preserve stories that might otherwise be lost to tim
A Routine Day Turns Extraordinary
On that day, Rocco Morabito, a photographer for the Jacksonville Journal, was on what seemed like a routine assignment.
According to interviews he gave later in life, Morabito was en route to cover a minor story near West 26th Street in Jacksonville, Florida.
https://googleads.g.doubleclick.net/pagead/ads?gdpr=0&client=ca-pub-1627359692766378&output=html&h=280&adk=828013086&adf=2200286083&pi=t.aa~a.1381849204~i.19~rp.4&w=600&fwrn=4&fwrnh=100&lmt=1766188739&rafmt=1&armr=3&sem=mc&pwprc=7170447173&ad_type=text_image&format=600×280&url=https%3A%2F%2Fcehre.net%2Fthe-kiss-of-life-one-mans-bravery-in-saving-a-coworker-captured-in-a-powerful-photo%2F&fwr=0&pra=3&rh=150&rw=600&rpe=1&resp_fmts=3&fa=27&uach=WyJXaW5kb3dzIiwiMTkuMC4wIiwieDg2IiwiIiwiMTQzLjAuMzY1MC44MCIsbnVsbCwwLG51bGwsIjY0IixbWyJNaWNyb3NvZnQgRWRnZSIsIjE0My4wLjM2NTAuODAiXSxbIkNocm9taXVtIiwiMTQzLjAuNzQ5OS4xMTAiXSxbIk5vdCBBKEJyYW5kIiwiMjQuMC4wLjAiXV0sMF0.&abgtt=6&dt=1766188739131&bpp=1&bdt=491&idt=1&shv=r20251211&mjsv=m202512100101&ptt=9&saldr=aa&abxe=1&cookie=ID%3D4ea30bcee9d5fbfd%3AT%3D1766188169%3ART%3D1766188736%3AS%3DALNI_Ma6vgXtxyY3yXepZNypkGEQYnhi-Q&gpic=UID%3D000012d78729ac63%3AT%3D1766188169%3ART%3D1766188736%3AS%3DALNI_MZMQVgkvii-NbXcub6r4fuz1LYUfA&eo_id_str=ID%3D8a4cc96894a06166%3AT%3D1766188169%3ART%3D1766188736%3AS%3DAA-AfjYpG5spr42bKeyL76rSR6-V&prev_fmts=0x0%2C1200x280%2C600x280%2C600x280&nras=5&correlator=6970091430417&frm=20&pv=1&u_tz=60&u_his=2&u_h=864&u_w=1536&u_ah=816&u_aw=1536&u_cd=24&u_sd=1.25&dmc=8&adx=456&ady=2478&biw=1513&bih=732&scr_x=0&scr_y=0&eid=31095903%2C31096042%2C95376241%2C95376583%2C95378750%2C95379212%2C95372615%2C31095703&oid=2&pvsid=7001278935461187&tmod=870066745&uas=1&nvt=1&ref=https%3A%2F%2Fcehre.net%2F%3Fs%3DThe%2BKiss%2Bof%2BLife%253A%2BOne%2BMan%25E2%2580%2599s%2BBravery%2Bin%2BSaving%2Ba%2BCoworker%252C%2BCaptured%2Bin%2Ba%2BPowerful%2BPhoto%26fbclid%3DIwY2xjawOyxhBleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETFhaXEwRDdNSko3eHBTd0Vlc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHnPbJb1da0hpo3R8oaRTpUJouhdEOqZwc0W-JJU48TVbWaEYen_1Emdtnxez_aem_TNw0bxnHBYRqeDfCG64ZWA&fc=1408&brdim=0%2C0%2C0%2C0%2C1536%2C0%2C1536%2C816%2C1528%2C732&vis=1&rsz=%7C%7Cs%7C&abl=NS&fu=128&bc=31&bz=1.01&pgls=CAEaAzYuOQ..&num_ads=1&ifi=5&uci=a!5&btvi=3&fsb=1&dtd=197
The assignment was simple, predictable, and unremarkable. Like many photojournalists on mundane days, he reportedly felt a sense of monotony and boredom as he drove through the quiet neighborhood.
That sense of routine vanished instantly when Morabito noticed a gathering near a utility pole.
https://googleads.g.doubleclick.net/pagead/ads?gdpr=0&client=ca-pub-1627359692766378&output=html&h=280&adk=828013086&adf=494717254&pi=t.aa~a.1381849204~i.23~rp.4&w=600&fwrn=4&fwrnh=100&lmt=1766188739&rafmt=1&armr=3&sem=mc&pwprc=7170447173&ad_type=text_image&format=600×280&url=https%3A%2F%2Fcehre.net%2Fthe-kiss-of-life-one-mans-bravery-in-saving-a-coworker-captured-in-a-powerful-photo%2F&fwr=0&pra=3&rh=150&rw=600&rpe=1&resp_fmts=3&fa=27&uach=WyJXaW5kb3dzIiwiMTkuMC4wIiwieDg2IiwiIiwiMTQzLjAuMzY1MC44MCIsbnVsbCwwLG51bGwsIjY0IixbWyJNaWNyb3NvZnQgRWRnZSIsIjE0My4wLjM2NTAuODAiXSxbIkNocm9taXVtIiwiMTQzLjAuNzQ5OS4xMTAiXSxbIk5vdCBBKEJyYW5kIiwiMjQuMC4wLjAiXV0sMF0.&abgtt=6&dt=1766188739138&bpp=1&bdt=498&idt=1&shv=r20251211&mjsv=m202512100101&ptt=9&saldr=aa&abxe=1&cookie=ID%3D4ea30bcee9d5fbfd%3AT%3D1766188169%3ART%3D1766188736%3AS%3DALNI_Ma6vgXtxyY3yXepZNypkGEQYnhi-Q&gpic=UID%3D000012d78729ac63%3AT%3D1766188169%3ART%3D1766188736%3AS%3DALNI_MZMQVgkvii-NbXcub6r4fuz1LYUfA&eo_id_str=ID%3D8a4cc96894a06166%3AT%3D1766188169%3ART%3D1766188736%3AS%3DAA-AfjYpG5spr42bKeyL76rSR6-V&prev_fmts=0x0%2C1200x280%2C600x280%2C600x280%2C600x280&nras=6&correlator=6970091430417&frm=20&pv=1&u_tz=60&u_his=2&u_h=864&u_w=1536&u_ah=816&u_aw=1536&u_cd=24&u_sd=1.25&dmc=8&adx=456&ady=2958&biw=1513&bih=732&scr_x=0&scr_y=37&eid=31095903%2C31096042%2C95376241%2C95376583%2C95378750%2C95379212%2C95372615%2C31095703&oid=2&pvsid=7001278935461187&tmod=870066745&uas=1&nvt=1&ref=https%3A%2F%2Fcehre.net%2F%3Fs%3DThe%2BKiss%2Bof%2BLife%253A%2BOne%2BMan%25E2%2580%2599s%2BBravery%2Bin%2BSaving%2Ba%2BCoworker%252C%2BCaptured%2Bin%2Ba%2BPowerful%2BPhoto%26fbclid%3DIwY2xjawOyxhBleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETFhaXEwRDdNSko3eHBTd0Vlc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHnPbJb1da0hpo3R8oaRTpUJouhdEOqZwc0W-JJU48TVbWaEYen_1Emdtnxez_aem_TNw0bxnHBYRqeDfCG64ZWA&fc=1408&brdim=0%2C0%2C0%2C0%2C1536%2C0%2C1536%2C816%2C1528%2C732&vis=1&rsz=%7C%7Cs%7C&abl=NS&fu=128&bc=31&bz=1.01&pgls=CAEaAzYuOQ..&num_ads=1&ifi=6&uci=a!6&btvi=4&fsb=1&dtd=284
Several workers were visibly alarmed, and a small crowd had begun to assemble on the street, craning their necks and whispering anxiously.
Morabito instinctively slowed his vehicle to get a clearer view, unaware that he was approaching a life-or-death scene that would define both his career and the lives of the men involved.
The High-Voltage Accident
At the center of the commotion were two electrical line workers performing routine maintenance on a power distribution system.
One of them, later identified in reports as J.D. Champion, was positioned near the top of the pole, handling complex equipment.
While adjusting a connection, Champion accidentally made direct contact with a high-voltage line, estimated to carry more than 4,000 volts of electricity.
The shock was immediate and severe. Champion was rendered unconscious almost instantly.
Thankfully, a safety harness prevented him from falling to the ground, which could have resulted in fatal injuries or permanent disability.
