Within minutes, first responders arrived. Police, firefighters, and emergency medical teams began surrounding the backyard, but it took only a quick look into the narrow hole for the truth to hit them:
This would not be a simple rescue.
-
geologists
-
drilling engineers
-
mining experts
-
trauma doctors
-
volunteers
-
and extraordinary creativity
Detective Andy Glasscock, one of the first officers on scene, leaned over the opening and called down into the darkness:
“I called the baby’s name three or four times and didn’t hear anything. Finally, I got a cry in response.”
A Nation Watches as Hope Hangs by a Thread
Within hours, news cameras gathered. Local reporters became national ones.
The story swept across America like wildfire — a toddler trapped underground, her cries echoing up from the earth.
Live broadcasts ran 24 hours a day.
People skipped work. Churches held prayer vigils. Children wrote letters.
Strangers gathered in living rooms, waiting for any update.
And America waited for a miracle.
A Rescue Unlike Anything Seen Before
Experts quickly realized that trying to pull Jessica straight up through the narrow shaft was impossible — she was stuck, and forcing her upward risked severe injury. So they came up with a daring plan:
Drill a separate shaft parallel to the well, then cut through horizontally to reach her. But there was one problem.
The ground beneath the yard was made of rock so hard that drilling equipment burned out constantly. Workers had to stop again and again to reposition machinery, replace drill bits, and re-evaluate the angle of approach.
Through microphones, rescuers could hear her crying, whimpering… and sometimes singing to comfort herself. One of the songs she sang was “Winnie-the-Pooh,” a detail that would forever break America’s heart.
