Over 32 Years Ago, The World Stopped And Watched As Baby Jessica Was Rescued From A Deep Well

It’s now been over 32 years since the world was transfixed by the plight of an infant in Midland, Texas, who soon we would soon call Baby Jessica after the 18-month-old had fallen down a well on October 14, 1987. Millions of people in America and around the world watched as baby Jessica was pulled up from a backyard well located behind her Aunt’s house after she was trapped for almost 60 hours. However, years later, the center of all this attention, says she has no recollection of these dramatic events. Born on March 26, 1986, today, Jessica McClure is a 34-year-old mother of two who still smiles and answers to “Baby Jessica” when approached by friends and strangers alike in her hometown of Midland. She also says that she totally understands why so many people became so deeply involved in her survival during those fateful hours. Jessica spent a total of 58 hours trapped in a well 22-feet below the surface. First responders had to work to drill their way down to her location, in order to rescue the little girl from her Aunt’s abandoned backyard well. However, the rescue proved far more difficult than anyone could have imagined. They had to drill a parallel shaft through the hard rock and then connect to where she was trapped. Then at 8 pm on October 16, television networks all broadcast the first images of a paramedic triumphantly bringing Baby Jessica out of the well.

“I had God on my side that day,” Jessica says in an issue of PEOPLE. “My life is a miracle.”

Viewers watched as hundreds of rescuers, paramedics drilling specialists, and contractors worked tirelessly to save the little girl’s slide. Meanwhile, they were all heartened when they heard the child singing “Winnie the Pooh” from deep within the well. Because as long as she was singing, that meant she was still alive! Her rescue was even portrayed in the 1989 TV movie, titled Everybody’s Baby: The Rescue of Jessica McClure. Today, Jessica and her husband Danny (45), along with their children Simon (11) and Sheyenne (9), live a simple, quiet life, far from the limelight. She is now a special education teacher’s aid at the town’s local elementary school, and they still call Midland their home to this day. You can watch a special interview with Jessica filmed in 2017 in the video below.