On October 14, 1987, 18-month-old Jessica McClure fell 22 feet into a narrow well in Midland, Texas, sparking a 58-hour rescue operation that became the first major event covered 24/7 by CNN and captured national attention. The rescue unified a community but exposed media sensationalism, infighting over television rights, and lasting trauma for the hero who saved her. Jessica McClure survived 58 hours trapped in an 8-inch well pipe by remaining conscious and singing; rescue workers had to drill a parallel shaft four inches per hour to avoid destabilizing the well and killing her. Robert O'Donnell, the paramedic who freed Jessica using KY jelly to reduce friction, later developed PTSD from the rescue and media attention, eventually taking his own life in 1993 after losing his job and struggling with substance abuse.