Remembering 29 Years Ago: The rescue of 'Baby Jessica'
HOUSTON -- It was October 16, 1987 when the whole world watched while dozens of rescue workers raced to save the life of a small girl who had fallen down a well.
Her name was Jessica McClure. She was just 18 months old when she fell into the 8-inch well in her aunt's backyard in Midland, Texas.
What happened next became the focus of every media outlet in the country, as the country watched and waited to see if the girl could be saved.
VIDEO: ABC13's live coverage of the rescue of Baby Jessica
It was a tough task getting to the little girl, but the people of Midland were just the ones to get the job done. Midland's wealth of gas and oil experts and workers provided the expertise needed to get to Jessica, 22 feet down.
VIDEO: Melanie Lawson interviews two of the rescuers
Rescuers brought in heavy drilling equipment and dug another shaft parallel to the one Jessica was stuck in.
It took 58 hours, but finally on the night of October 16, Jessica was pulled from the well safely. Jessica suffered a cut to her head and later had to have a toe amputated because of infection.
