I imagine a lot of people who read the SF Chronicle's article on the Pulitzer Prize winners wondered what happened to the person in the prize-winning photo above. The article only said that the man was "trying" to rescue the woman. I'm sure there were hundreds of us who googled the Des Moines Register story to find out what happened. Kudos to Mary Chind of the Des Moines Register.
The back-story was even more amazing than I'd expected. Not only was the woman saved, but the rescuer was not some kind of firefighter or trained rescuer. He was a construction worker working on a bridge above where the woman was drowning and had himself lowered from a crane to reach for her. He wants no attention for this heroic act. The woman's husband drowned and it's likely that the photo brings up some very difficult, forever-raw memories for her. "Taking" someone's picture is always a dubious matter when it isn't posed, but I'm thankful to have seen this and I know there are thousands of us today who are sending heartfelt wishes to this sad, noble, survivor.
I have always liked the Spanish phrase for taking a photo--"sacar una foto." "Sacar" means to draw, pull out, bring out...which conveys the way each viewer interprets a picture in his or her own way.
ReplyDeleteThis photo captures the beauty of humanity, the core of goodness in which I have always believed. When called to help a total stranger, most people react in unbelievably selfless ways. One hand reaches toward the other above raging waters...while the woman's husband did not survive, that the woman will most likely go on to do something equally selfless, remembering the bridge worker who risked his life for hers.