MIDLAND, Texas — You may remember the story of Jessica McClure.
Back in 1987, she fell into a well as a baby, leading to rescue workers working day and night to get her out of the well.
One of the medical professionals on the scene, Dr. Debbie Reese, tended to her injuries and gave advice to the rescue workers.
On Thursday, she was invited to the Rotary Community Room at Midland College, telling her side of the story to the Rotary Club of Midland.
Dr. Reese got involved on the last day McClure was stuck in the well, and was by her side when she was pulled out.
“Her leg was wedged and they couldn't extract her and I told them that, if they had to, they could break her leg to get her out," Dr. Reese said. "I was there in the ambulance and I was the pediatrician in charge of her care for the month she was in the hospital.”
The well was pretty small, so Dr. Reese brought with her some props to make sure people could understand the size of the well.
“I brought plates of different sizes to show how small the well opening was, just for people to kind of get a better idea and to raise the question of how did she get in there,” Dr. Reese said.
Even though this happened way back in 1987, the way Baby Jessica fell into the well remains a mystery.
“We don’t know for sure," Dr. Reese said. "It was investigated, but we probably will never know, it’s all just speculation.”
But this story is more than just what happened to McClure, it's about the effort to free her that brought the whole city together at a time they needed it the most.
“Well I think it's important because of the way the community came together to rescue her," Dr. Reese said. "It was a time of the oil bust and everyone was depressed.