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.