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Kathy Fiscus: A Tragedy That Transfixed the Nation
In Kathy A Tragedy that Transfixed the Nation historian William Deverell tells the heartbreaking story of a young girl trapped in a well―a story that transfixed the nation in what would become the first live, breaking-news TV spectacle in history. Kathy Fiscus tells the story of the first live, breaking-news TV spectacle in American history. At dusk on a spring evening in 1949, a three-year old girl fell down an abandoned well shaft in the backyard of her family’s home in Southern California. Across more than two full days of a fevered rescue attempt, the fate of Kathy Fiscus remained unknown. Thousands of concerned Southern Californians rushed to the scene. Jockeys hurried over from the nearby racetracks, offering to be sent down the well after Kathy. 20th Century Fox sent over the studio’s klieg lights to illuminate the scene. Rescue workers–ditch diggers, miners, cesspool laborers, World War II veterans–dug and bored holes deep into the aquifer below, hoping to tunnel across to the old well shaft that the little girl had somehow tumbled down. The region, the nation, and the world watched and listened to every moment of the rescue attempt by way of radio, newsreel footage, and wire service reporting. They also watched live television. Because of the well’s proximity to the radio towers on nearby Mount Wilson, the rescue attempt because the first breaking-news event to be broadcast live on television. The Kathy Fiscus event invented reality television and proved that real-time television news broadcasting could work and could transfix the public.
- GenresNonfiction
160 pages, Hardcover
Published March 9, 2021
18 people want to read
About the author
William Deverell
62 books68 followersWilliam Deverell was born in 1937 in Regina, Saskatchewan. He put himself through law school by working as a journalist for the Canadian Press, Vancouver Sun, and Saskatoon Star-Phoenix. Deverell served as counsel for over a thousand criminal cases and is a founding director and former president of the B.C. Civil Liberties Association. He created the television series, Street Legal, and has written screenplays and radio plays. Deverell lives on Pender Island, British Columbia.
Awards:
Arthur Ellis Award
* 1998 – Trial of Passion – Winner
* 2006 – April Fool – Winner
Awards:
Arthur Ellis Award
* 1998 – Trial of Passion – Winner
* 2006 – April Fool – Winner
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
April 28, 2022
While scrolling through my library’s offerings one day, this book caught my eye and I felt intrigued to give it a try. Not onle to read about sensationalism in any form, I was temporarily hesitant, but changed my tune when I discovered that it was all about a little girl falling into a well. William Deverell does well to recount the story from many angles and keeps the reader involved throughout, never trying to candy coat what took place over those three days in 1949. A great piece and one that I devoured in a single sitting.
It was in April, 1949 that young Kathy Fiscus was playing with her siblings and cousins before she disappeared. A frantic mother scoured the local playground in hopes of finding her daughter engaged in some game, but little Kathy was nowhere to be found. Soon, here whereabouts was known when someone heard her small voice at the bottom of an open well, which began a major community effort to save her.
As Deverell recounts, these type of open wells were not uncommon in Southern California, though they were usually better tended to, ensuring that an event like this one could not occur. IN an area rich with water, these wells served a significant purpose, but al that was put arise as the rescue effort to save Kathy Fiscus began. The authorities sought to communicate with the little girl, successful speaking to her, before hatching a plan to get her out. Thoughts of using a rope were soon stymied because of the danger that Kathy might stranger herself trying to affix it to her body or an oscillating Kathy might come in contact with some protruding metal or rock along hr side of the shaft. It’s would b a slow process and one requiring many minds working in tandem.
As the hours turned into a full day, Kathy Fiscus was still in the well and no one was quite sure what to do. The event was gaining notoriety, both by massive numbers of spectators and media coverage. Still, noting concrete had been devised to help Kath out of the hole. Hours soon grew and things became somewhat silent, leaving many to wonder what was taking place. By Sunday night, over fifty hours since Kathy fell into the well, she was recovered, though the news was anything but joyous. The body of the little girl was brought to the surface, though she had died of causes never determined by Deverell. She might have drowned or lacked for oxygen, but it did not matter. Hearts across the city and around the country were broken at the news of Kathy Fiscus’ death. A tragedy that could likely have been prevented, though it was no time for finger pointing.
In a short book like this, narrative flow is key. William Deverell uses things effectively through the early pages and pushes onward as the story gains momentum. A strong story that grips the reader from the outset, there is much to share as time passes. Deverell hits on all the poignant points and keeps the reader engaged until the closing moments of the story. With many photos to complement to story being told, Deverell does well to bring the story to life for all those involved and makes it known just how much effort was put into helping Kathy Fiscus over those fifty-plus hours. While I may not rush out to read a great deal more about the subject, I was intrigued by what I did take away from this book and hope others feel the same.
Kudos, Mr. Deverell, for a highly informative piece that had been pushing forward as I sat and educated myself.
Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
It was in April, 1949 that young Kathy Fiscus was playing with her siblings and cousins before she disappeared. A frantic mother scoured the local playground in hopes of finding her daughter engaged in some game, but little Kathy was nowhere to be found. Soon, here whereabouts was known when someone heard her small voice at the bottom of an open well, which began a major community effort to save her.
As Deverell recounts, these type of open wells were not uncommon in Southern California, though they were usually better tended to, ensuring that an event like this one could not occur. IN an area rich with water, these wells served a significant purpose, but al that was put arise as the rescue effort to save Kathy Fiscus began. The authorities sought to communicate with the little girl, successful speaking to her, before hatching a plan to get her out. Thoughts of using a rope were soon stymied because of the danger that Kathy might stranger herself trying to affix it to her body or an oscillating Kathy might come in contact with some protruding metal or rock along hr side of the shaft. It’s would b a slow process and one requiring many minds working in tandem.
As the hours turned into a full day, Kathy Fiscus was still in the well and no one was quite sure what to do. The event was gaining notoriety, both by massive numbers of spectators and media coverage. Still, noting concrete had been devised to help Kath out of the hole. Hours soon grew and things became somewhat silent, leaving many to wonder what was taking place. By Sunday night, over fifty hours since Kathy fell into the well, she was recovered, though the news was anything but joyous. The body of the little girl was brought to the surface, though she had died of causes never determined by Deverell. She might have drowned or lacked for oxygen, but it did not matter. Hearts across the city and around the country were broken at the news of Kathy Fiscus’ death. A tragedy that could likely have been prevented, though it was no time for finger pointing.
In a short book like this, narrative flow is key. William Deverell uses things effectively through the early pages and pushes onward as the story gains momentum. A strong story that grips the reader from the outset, there is much to share as time passes. Deverell hits on all the poignant points and keeps the reader engaged until the closing moments of the story. With many photos to complement to story being told, Deverell does well to bring the story to life for all those involved and makes it known just how much effort was put into helping Kathy Fiscus over those fifty-plus hours. While I may not rush out to read a great deal more about the subject, I was intrigued by what I did take away from this book and hope others feel the same.
Kudos, Mr. Deverell, for a highly informative piece that had been pushing forward as I sat and educated myself.
Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
August 16, 2022
Written by William Deverell, a Professor of History at USC, the story of Kathy Fiscus is indeed a tragedy. While playing in the family's backyard, 3-year old Kathy somehow fell down an abandoned well, leading to her parents to figure out her whereabouts a few hours later from hearing her cries. The commotions that occurred, eventually lead the whole neighborhood to partake in a community rescue of the little girl who was trapped in the well. However, because so many people were acting on the scene, there were many confusions and hesitations about how to deal with the situation. Ideas such as digging a tunnel underground next to the well, roping Kathy up, or even sending someone who was short and skinny to retrieve her were constantly proposed and rejected. While rescuers continued their efforts, Kathy's family awaited her return while KTLA ultimately managed to do a live broadcast of the whole operation until the very end. This of course, shows the surreal power broadcasting can have in news reporting, as TVs were still a new commodity for most households. However, despite their best attempts, Kathy did not survive the ordeal, as she was dead by the time they brought her back up to the surface.
As someone who lived close to where the incident happened decades ago, I was intrigued as I never heard of this story before. Deverell has not only told Kathy's rescued attempts in an informative and flowing manner, but also brings historical context in between sections of the rescue to inform about the time period and the background information of said wells that greatly impacted the operation. He also does go into context about the impact media has in transfixing the story to every family and spreading Kathy's story nationwide. Most importantly, he also highlights the heroism of the entire community as they did what they could to save a child trapped in a dangerous situation, as many of the rescuers were ones who dealt with wells and other underground works. Deverell also used many of the released photographs reporters had taken during the duration of the rescue, showing all the efforts of the community and the worries of Kathy's family members as they awaited the news of their daughter. Overall, this is a nice, informative historical piece on a tragedy that changed the outlook on safety precautions when it comes to abandoned sites and child safety.
As someone who lived close to where the incident happened decades ago, I was intrigued as I never heard of this story before. Deverell has not only told Kathy's rescued attempts in an informative and flowing manner, but also brings historical context in between sections of the rescue to inform about the time period and the background information of said wells that greatly impacted the operation. He also does go into context about the impact media has in transfixing the story to every family and spreading Kathy's story nationwide. Most importantly, he also highlights the heroism of the entire community as they did what they could to save a child trapped in a dangerous situation, as many of the rescuers were ones who dealt with wells and other underground works. Deverell also used many of the released photographs reporters had taken during the duration of the rescue, showing all the efforts of the community and the worries of Kathy's family members as they awaited the news of their daughter. Overall, this is a nice, informative historical piece on a tragedy that changed the outlook on safety precautions when it comes to abandoned sites and child safety.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews