Rocco Morobito told others many years ago that he “was a believer”.

In 1968, The Kiss of Life photograph could be found on the front page of newspapers around the world. Even now, the photograph is celebrated on sites like Tic Tok, Instagram, Facebook, You Tube, news Channels and more. Even “Find A Grave” has a huge spread that tells the whole story. Those who work in the linesman industry say this event changed the way training was done. Certainly, it changed the families and friends of those close to the event.

Pulitzer Prize Winner explaining event.(Photo-Ramey)

Probably no one would have believed it but for the fact that Rocco Morobito captured it all on film.   Morabito was a Jacksonville Journal photographer.  He told the 4th grade students at Greenland Pines Elementary School in Jacksonville, Florida on September 4, 1994  that when he left for work that day, it was a normal work day as he was headed to get photos of the train strike. On the way there he saw linemen working on the poles near 26th and Grunthal.   Following his trip to the train area he went back by the electricians only to witnessed a linesman slumped on a pole only held only by his harness. 

Rocco Morobito holding Pulitzer photo (Photo-Ramey)

Randall Champion had contacted a low voltage wire which shocked him and left him unconscious and hanging at the top of the power pole.  One of the lineman working near him that day, J. D. Thompson  realized what happened, took action and scaled up the pole giving Champion mouth-to-mouth resuscitation and saving his life.  

Morobito happened to be at the ground level capturing it all on film which would later be a Pulitzer Prize winning photograph for News Photography.  It was named, “The Kiss of Life”.  

Mr. Morobito told the Greenland Pines’ students that on the way home he stopped by St. Paul’s, went in and knelt at the alter lifting up a prayer. He said to a reporter once, “I told you long ago that I am a believer” and when asked what made him drop back by where the JEA workers were, his response was, “ I believe in divine guidance…”   

Champion lived to the age of 64 and is buried at Restlawm Memorial cemetery.   Rocco Morobito died April 5, 2009 at the age of 88.  He is buried at Evergreen Cemetery in Jacksonville. In 2024, J. D. Thompson, using a cane, was” honored with a City Council Proclamation commending him for his 1967 rescue of fellow lineman Randall Champion.”

I’d say it was a divine appointment.

See you tomorrow,

Nan

Sources: Jacksonville Journal, Jacksonville Daily Record, You Tube, Greenland Pines Elementary, Rocco Morobito,  Nannette V. Ramey,