This photo titled “Kiss of Life” shows a utility worker giving mouth to mouth to a coworker. The coworker, Randall G. Champion went unconscious after he came in contact with a low voltage line on top of a utility pole. That’s when utility workers J.D. Thompson came to the rescue and gave him a mouth-to-mouth resuscitation to save his life. Bringing him back to life.
The two of them were performing a routine maintenance when Champion came in contact with one of the low voltage lines at the very top of the pole. Over 4000 volts of electricity entered Champion’s body and his heart stopped working instantly. Fun fact: and electric chair uses only 2000 volts. Fortunately, Champion’s safety harness prevented him from falling. All this while, Thompson who had been ascending below him quickly reached out to him and performed a mouth to mouth resuscitation. Given the circumstances, he was unable to perform CPR. He continued to breathe into his coworkers lungs till he felt a slight pulse.
He then unbuckled his harness and came down with him on his shoulder. Champion was moderately revived when another coworker on the ground administered CPR. By this time the paramedics arrived and Champion eventually made full recovery.
In addition to this, other injuries included a burn on Champion’s foot. The electric current came out his foot blowing a hole which required skin grafting and months of healing. What’s incredible is that Champion lived another 35 years thanks to his coworker saving his life. He died at the age of 64 in 2002. Thompson still lives to tell this legendary story even today!
