On October 14, 1987, a little girl named Jessica McClure fell down a well that was on her aunt’s property. It was a horrifying ordeal and was one of the first events that had the entire world transfixed as they watched, prayed, and cheered for the little girl to be rescued. “Baby Jessica” fell down the well more than 32 years ago, but she’s still known by anyone who was alive at that time. Millions of Americans and people all over the world watched as rescuers spent days trying to draw her out of the well. Baby Jessica spent 60 hours down in that well, what probably seemed like a lifetime to her at the time and to her parents.
The well was behind her aunt’s house and Jessica, despite being the center of so much attention, says she has no memory of the dramatic events that shaped her life. Jessica was only a year and a half old when she fell down the well, a shockingly tender age to be in such a terrifying situation. Even though she doesn’t remember the situation, Jessica still smiles and answers to “Baby Jessica” when she’s approached by strangers and friends in her hometown of Midland, Texas. Jessica says that she completely understands why so many people are become so deeply involved in the story and invested in her survival during those fateful hours.
The well was 22-feet below the surface and first responders worked to drill their way down to the location where she was. To rescue the little girl, the workers had to keep going without stopping for hours. As it turns out, the rescue was much more difficult than people can imagine. The people working to rescue the little girl had to drill a parallel shaft through the hard rock and then connect to the area in which she was trapped. Finally, at 8:00 p.m. on October 16th, television networks around the world broadcast the first images of a relieved paramedic triumphantly bringing Baby Jessica out of the well.
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Jessica now feels grateful, saying “I had God on my side that day,” Jessica says in an issue of PEOPLE. “My life is a miracle.” As viewers watched, paramedics, drilling specialists, rescuers, and contractors worked tirelessly to save her life and she’s forever grateful for their work. The workers said that they felt so heartened when they heard the little girl singing “Winnie the Pooh” from deep within the well. They knew that as long as she was singing, she was alive.
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Now a special education teacher’s aid in her hometown’s elementary school, Jessica is raising a family of her own with her husband Danny. They have a little girl and a little boy and live a simple, quiet life. Watch the special that was filmed in 2017 below.
