Week after week, the series delivers runaway animals, freak accidents, medical mysteries, and rescues so wild they feel ripped straight from superhero movies. But here’s the twist: many of the show’s most jaw-dropping emergencies are rooted in real-life events. The writers on the Ryan Murphy series — who was inspired to create the show after his infant son temporarily stopped breathing — regularly dig into strange-but-true headlines and bizarre 911 calls, turning them into the series’ signature blend of chaos, heart, and high-stakes heroics.
Here are 11 real-life stories that inspired storylines on 9-1-1.
Season 1, Episode 1 — "Pilot"What happens: A panicked caller insists there’s a baby crying inside the walls of his apartment building. The crew from Station 118 doubts him, mostly because he’s clearly high, but once they hear the faint cries for themselves, they start tearing down walls to find the infant.Real-life inspiration: As unbelievable as it sounds, this storyline mirrors a 2013 incident in China as reported by CNN. A woman went to the bathroom after severe stomach pains, unaware she was in labor, and her newborn slipped into the building’s plumbing system. Firefighters eventually rescued the baby alive and unharmed.
2 & 3. The flying bounce house & the rebar through the head
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5. The wrong way to use an air compressor
Season 2, Episode 1 – “Under Pressure”What happens:9-1-1 isn’t just known for wild rescues. It also revels in the hilariously awkward ones. Case in point: A distracted mechanic slips, lands on an air compressor, and literally inflates. When the 118 arrives, his boss delivers the unforgettable line, “The air nozzle is embedded in his ass cheek.” Not exactly the performance review anyone wants.Real-life inspiration: As bizarre as it sounds, something similar really happened. In 2011, a New Zealand truck driver fell between the cab and trailer, breaking an air hose that pierced his buttock and began pumping air into his body. He survived thanks to coworkers who heard his screams and rushed to help.
ELIJAH M. COOPER, ANGELA BASSETT, CORINNE MASSIAH7. A Child falls down a well
Season 3, Episode 15 – “Eddie Begins”What happens: When two boys go exploring in an open field, only one makes it back. The missing child is eventually found 45 feet below ground, trapped in an old water well once connected to a dismantled windmill. The rescue quickly turns into a full-scale operation, complete with heavy machinery, frantic first responders, and a wall of news cameras.Real-life inspiration: This rescue will make viewers of a certain age immediately think of “Baby Jessica.” In 1987, 18-month-old Jessica McClure fell into a well in Midland, Texas, sparking a massive 58-hour rescue mission that captivated the nation. According to People, Jessica still lives in Texas today and is now a grandmother.
Season 6, Episode 10 – “In a Flash”What happens: A sudden, freak lightning storm strikes the Los Angeles shoreline, zapping a father who’s been buried up to his neck in sand by his kids. The bolt hits the ground so powerfully that it turns the sand to glass, sending shards into his neck and leaving the 118 with one of their wildest beach rescues yet.Real-world inspiration: Showrunner Kristen Reidel told EWthat the episode drew from actual lightning incidents in Los Angeles. “We did have weird lightning out of the blue here. People were injured. I believe some people even died,” she said. The eerie part? There was no rain and no warning, proof that sometimes real life is just as shocking as the show.
9. Airline disaster & cruise chaos
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10. Billionaire swallowed by a whale
Season 9, Episode 1 – “Eat the Rich”What happens: Only on 9-1-1 could a tech billionaire (played by Mark Consuelos) end up inside the mouth of a breaching whale while participating in a remote board meeting during a kayaking excursion. The 118 springs into action for one of their strangest rescues, extricating him from a crazy situation.Real-world inspiration: As absurd as it sounds, this storyline was inspired by several real incidents where kayakers and divers were briefly scooped up by humpback whales before being spit back out. Most recently, a man in Chile found himself momentarily swallowed. As it was later reported by the BBC, the first thing he noticed was “the slime.” Sometimes truth really is stranger, and messier, than fiction.
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