The Incredible Stories Pulitzer Prize-Winning Photos

Tragedy by the Sea - Pulitzer Prize in 1955

On April 2, 1954, photographer John L. Grant from the Los Angeles Times documented the grief of the McDonald family after their 19-month-old son Michael drowned at Hermosa Beach, California.

On April 2, 1954, a 19-month-old boy named Michael went missing along the shore in Hermosa Beach, California. His parents, John and Lillian McDonald, were photographed standing on the beach after the disappearance. The boy was not immediately found, and the search was suspended that night. John and Lillian refused to leave the beach even when it became too dark to search.

On the day of the boy's disappearance, Los Angeles Times photographer John L. Gaunt, Jr. was at his Hermosa Beach home when he heard a neighbor shout

Gaunt retrieved his camera, a Rolleiflex, and he ran to the beach. When he approached, he saw the young couple standing by the water's edge holding each other and he captured the image before the couple turned and walked away.

Gaunt stated that his recollection is that he captured the image from 200 ft (61 m) away and had his camera set at 1/250 of a second with the aperture set at f/16.

The photo, titled "Tragedy by the Sea," captures the couple’s despair and was awarded the Pulitzer Prize in 1955.