A chilling simulation shows what happened when a baby fell down a narrow well for 56 hours.
On October 16, 1987, Jessica McClure Morales, also known as "Baby Jessica," had been playing with four other toddlers in her aunt’s backyard in Midland, Texas when she fell into a narrow well at just 18 months old.
The heartbreaking incident captured worldwide attention as rescuers, drilling experts, and contractors worked tirelessly for over 58 hours to free her from the 22-foot-deep well.
“I didn’t know what to do. I just ran in and called the police. They were there within three minutes, but it felt like a lifetime,” Jessica’s mother, Cissy, told PEOPLE in November 1987.
The first police officer on the scene, Bobbie Jo ”B.J.” Hall, spoke about the ordeal to the publication, revealing that he couldn’t see anything when he first looked down the hole.
“I called the baby’s name three or four times and didn’t hear anything. Finally, I got a cry in response. We didn’t know how deep she was until we lowered a tape hooked to a flashlight into the hole,” he continued.
As it's difficult to imagine how a toddler could fall down a narrow well, YouTuber Zack D. Films created a simulation that shows what happened.
Watch the clip below:In the clip, Jessica is seen playing in the garden before she accidentally steps backward onto the well's cover.
One leg immediately falls into the small opening, while the other twists awkwardly above her head as she plunges downward. She then becomes stuck on a bend in the pipe, where she remains trapped for a terrifying 56 hours.
Remarkably, rescuers were able to drill a hole and carefully lower a ladder into the shaft. They then drilled through solid rock to reach the 18-month-old baby and inserted a microphone, where they heard Jessica singing 'Winnie the Pooh', confirming she was still alive.
A detective named Andy Glasscock told a publication at the time: “I would say 80 percent of the time she was either crying or making some kind of noise we could hear. When we weren’t calling words of encouragement, we’d tell her to sing for us. I’ll never forget her singing ‘Winnie-the-Pooh.’”
Eventually, a paramedic bravely climbed down the drilled shaft and successfully saved the baby girl.
Despite suffering a cut to her head and requiring the amputation of a toe due to infection, Jessica made a remarkable recovery.
Over 37 years after the traumatic accident, Jessica - who is now a mom - revealed to PEOPLE that she doesn't remember being rescued.
“I learned about it when I was four and watched it on Rescue 911 at my then stepmother’s house. It was overwhelming. I remember crying. She said, ‘You do realize that is about you?’ My dad said, ‘We were waiting until she was a little bit older to tell her,’” she said.
Still, she hopes that her story teaches her children to always "be humble," and "remember that if you look hard enough, there are so many good people in this world," per the outlet.
The brave mom, who never imagined she would still be remembered decades later, is also determined to ensure her kids don’t live in her shadow.
“To me, they’re so much more,” she said. “And can be so much more.”