In 1987, a baby girl named Jessica McClure brought America and the entire world to a standstill when she fell into a well in her aunt’s backyard. The rescue mission, lasting several days, caused a media storm that’s still unprecedented to this day. The event was so impactful that it serves as a historic milestone, one that reshaped the way live broadcasts are reported. Let’s revisit the rescue of Baby Jessica, without forgetting the tragic fate of her savior.
1. The Fall
When Jessica was 18 months old, she was playing with other kids in her aunt’s backyard. But in the midst of all that, she didn’t notice a tiny 8-inch gap, an abandoned well barely big enough to even fit her, and fell 22 feet inside it.
2. The Tiny Well
Jessica’s family quickly tried to rescue her, but it proved more challenging than anyone had thought. The well was far too small for any adult to attempt a rescue. No one in the vicinity could fit inside the 8-inch gap, and since Jessica had fallen so deep inside it, it was nearly impossible to reach her from above.
3. Jessica’s Position
Early rescue efforts were made even more difficult because of the position Baby Jessica was in. She was lodged with one leg above her head. Her age also made things difficult since she wasn’t able to cooperate with rescue efforts.
4. Emergency Services
Jessica’s mother, Cissy McClure, called emergency services shortly after the fall. It wasn’t long before police, firefighters, and paramedics all rushed to the scene. For the longest time, emergency services were simply surveying the scene instead of attempting a rescue, giving us a glimpse of just how complicated the whole situation was.
5. The Media Arrived
A few hours after the emergency services arrived, before an official rescue attempt, the local press in Midland, Texas caught wind of the story. They quickly arrived with all of their cameras and Jessica’s fall became the town’s big news story.
6. First Rescue Attempt
During the first rescue attempt, a rope was lowered into the well. They were hoping that the girl would grab onto the rope and be raised out of the well. However the lack of communication and Jessica’s position made it too difficult, and after a few attempts, it was called off.
7. The Attention Spreads
After the initial rescue attempts, the news story would spread to neighboring towns, cities, and states, and eventually reach nationwide attention. Live coverage of the rescue attempts would have Americans all across the country glued to their TV screens. In a way, the nation came together in support of the girl.
8. Specialized Teams Called
Since the rope method didn’t work, specialized rescue teams had to be called to figure out new ways to save the girl. Experts in drilling and mining had to be called and a new strategy was being considered before it was too late. Hours had already passed and the situation was getting more and more dire.
9. The Old Well
The new strategy was to drill a parallel shaft alongside the well Jessica was stuck in. But this created another problem, it wasn’t completely safe. The well was really old and fragile, and digging another well so close to it and burrowing into the well itself could cause its entire structure to collapse onto the baby.
10. The Hard Rock
To make matters worse, when the miners were digging a parallel shaft, they encountered a massive rock that their equipment was unable to drill through. This made the entire process even longer and more complicated, requiring them to use more experts.
11. Monitoring The Baby
While the drilling was going on, Baby Jessica was being constantly monitored by the rescue team through a wired microphone hanging down the well. She could be heard crying and occasionally singing nursery rhymes, which assured the team that she was okay and still alive.
12. The Resilient Child
Jessica stayed surprisingly calm throughout the whole ordeal and could be heard trying to calm herself down by singing and napping in the well. This instantly endeared her to the general public who were watching the whole thing unfold, and it made her into an even bigger story than she already was.
13. Using New Technology
The hard rock proved to be too big of a challenge for regular miners in the late 80s. Eventually, an expert came up with the idea of using a waterjet cutter, a brand-new technology for the time, to cut through the rock.
14. A Public Crisis
As almost a day passed with Jessica being stuck in the well, Jessica became a national phenomenon. Public prayers were being held in her honor, candlelight vigils, and even the federal government became involved in sending help for the girl.
15. Worsening State
After 24 hours, concerns were raised about the oxygen levels inside the well. Rescuers thought it was best to pump oxygen into the well to help the girl breathe easier. She also hadn’t drunk any water over the day, so saving her as quickly as possible was now the priority.
16. The Tunnel Is Complete
After over 40 hours, the parallel tunnel that the rescuers were digging was finally completed. They would spend some more hours digging a cross-tunnel that would allow them to reach the well she fell into. During this, rescuers could hear the baby girl sing “Winnie The Poo”, assuring them that she was still safe.
17. A Complicated Rescue
After 45 grueling hours, all of the digging was complete, but the rescue was still a long way away. The cross-tunnel and the well itself were still too small for a regular adult to fit through. A roofing contractor named Ron Short offered to go down the well as he was born without collarbones, allowing him to fit into the tunnel with relative ease.
18. Paramedic To Save The Day
Despite Ron Short’s courageous offer, he didn’t have much experience with rescue operations so he ultimately wasn’t chosen to go down the shaft. A paramedic named Robert O’Donnell was ultimately chosen to go down instead.
19. The Rescue Commences
Robert O’Donnell would make the courageous descent down the tunnel after Baby Jessica had been trapped for over 50 hours. He could contort his own body to be able to fit inside the tiny shaft, eventually reaching her, setting her free from the position she was stuck in, and pulling her out of the well.
20. Jessica’s Condition
Jessica was finally rescued after being trapped for 58 hours. She was handed over to EMT Steve Forbes who checked up on her before handing her to an ambulance. Jessica had minor cuts all over her body and a huge gash over her forehead. She was also dirty and severely dehydrated, needing immediate medical attention.
21. Nearly Losing A Foot
Aside from the cuts and bruises all over her body, because of the way Jessica was stuck inside the well, she received almost no circulation in one of her feet because of the way it was positioned the entire time she was trapped. She had to receive surgery and ended up avoiding an amputation thanks to the surgeons.
22. Overnight Celebrity
The rescue became an instant headline across all newspapers in the United States as people celebrated her safety. She appeared on the covers of numerous newspapers, including People magazine, and public demonstrations honored her as well.
23. The President Weighs In
The story of Baby Jessica even reached the offices of the most powerful man in the world, as Ronald Raegan, the president of the United States at the time, congratulated the rescue team, gave Jessica his best wishes, and proclaimed, “Everybody in America became godmothers and godfathers of Jessica while this was going on”. She would later also meet President George H.W. Bush.
24. Time Goes By
Jessica would spend several weeks in the hospital recovering from her injuries, making a full recovery. She retains no memory of the incident today as a 38-year-old woman, but still carries a scar on her forehead from her initial injuries. She is now married and has two children. She also received a trust fund upon turning 25 comprised of donations she received over the years.