On the 14th of October, 1987, an 18-month old baby named Jessica McClure Morales fell into a well in her aunt’s backyard. The incident captivated the nation and even the world, with millions of people watching with bated breath as rescuers worked valiantly around the clock to try and rescue this innocent, defenseless young child. The rescue efforts lasted for more than two days in total, and the incident received significant media coverage all over the globe. It was a huge story that resulted in the enormous aftermath and even had an influence on popular culture, with songs and TV shows being inspired by the incident of the girl who came to be known around the world as “Baby Jessica.”
The Early Months of Baby Jessica’s Life
Jessica McClure Morales was born on March 26 of 1986 in the city of Midland, Texas, which was well known at the time as one of Texas’ big oil towns. Jessica’s parents, Reba “Cissy” McClure and Lewis “Chip” McClure, were only teenagers when they welcomed their daughter into the world.
On October 14, 1987, 18-month-old Jessica McClure fell into an eight-inch diameter well pipe in the backyard of her aunt in Midland, Texas. She remained there for 58 hours before being rescued at about 8:30 pm on October 16, 1987. (Photo by Barbara Laing / Liaison Agency)
They didn’t have much money at the time but did their best to raise Jessica with the help of their families. Like so many other millions of babies around the world at the time, Jessica’s life passed without any major incidents for the first 18 months. However, on October 14 of 1987, everything was about to change, and things would never be quite the same for Jessica or her family.