Date: December 21, 1989
Photographer: Jean Guichard – French Amateur Photographer
In the late 1980s, a rare and spontaneous photograph captured the La Jument Lighthouse, located off the northern coast of France, being hit by massive waves during a powerful storm. At that very moment, Théodore Malgorn, the lighthouse keeper, was standing at the bottom of the structure, awaiting rescue by a helicopter. Coincidentally, French photographer Jean Guichard was in the area, capturing the storm’s fury from a different helicopter.
Brittany, located in the northwestern part of France, is a large peninsula extending into the Atlantic Ocean, bordered by the English Channel to the north and the Bay of Biscay to the south. The waters between its western coast and the island of Ouessant form the Iroise Sea, which is known as one of the most dangerous seas in Europe. Violent storms, massive waves, and strong currents are frequent here, leading to the loss of more than thirty ships in the area between 1888 and 1904. This treacherous coastline is dotted with lighthouses—over a third of all the lighthouses and beacons along the French coast can be found here—serving to warn sailors of the hazardous, rocky shoreline.
Among these lighthouses is one built on a rock called “La Jument,” about 300 meters off the coast of Ouessant. The La Jument Lighthouse gained widespread fame in 1989 thanks to a series of photos taken by photographer Jean Guichard. On December 21, a low-pressure front from Ireland brought with it powerful winds and massive waves, some reaching heights of 20 to 30 meters. These waves crashed against the lighthouse with such force that they shattered the lower windows, tore off the front door, flooded the tower, and swept away furniture. As a result, Théodore Malgorn, the lighthouse keeper, sought refuge in the lantern room, waiting to be rescued.
Meanwhile, Jean Guichard, who was in Lorient at the time, had hired a helicopter to take aerial photographs of the storm. Despite the dangerous flying conditions, the helicopter managed to reach the rock and circled around it, capturing images of the waves crashing against La Jument.
Inside the lighthouse, Théodore Malgorn heard the sound of the helicopter and thought it was his rescue. He rushed downstairs to open the door, and just at that moment, a massive wave rose over the rear of the lighthouse. Guichard captured his iconic photograph as the wave struck the tower. Realizing that a giant wave was about to engulf the structure, Malgorn quickly retreated inside, narrowly escaping with his life. Reflecting on the incident later, he said, “Had I been a bit further from the door, I wouldn’t have made it back inside, and I would be dead today. You don’t play with the sea.”
Fortunately, such scenarios no longer occur, as there have been no human lighthouse keepers since 1991; these lighthouses are now automated. As for the photograph, it was an instant success, winning second place in the 1991 World Press Photo awards. It was featured in numerous newspapers and magazines worldwide, and Guichard published a bestselling book about lighthouses, with that photograph being printed over a million times.
