On November 24, 2009, a man named John Edward Jones (January 21, 1983 – November 25, 2009) became stuck and subsequently died in the cave after being trapped inside.
For 28 hours, rescuers tried frantically to free him, but to no avail. On November 25, John Edward Jones died inside Nutty Putty Cave.
Nutty Putty is a cave in the Utah desert near Salt Lake City that is known for its unique formations.
John Jones went inside Nutty Putty Cave around 8 p.m. on the evening of November 24, 2009, just a few days before Thanksgiving. At that time, John was 26 years old and his friend Josh was 23. They, along with nine other friends and family members, decided to explore the cave as a way to bond before the holiday. John was in the prime of his life at 26. He was married, had a one-year-old daughter, and was studying medicine in Virginia. He had returned to Utah to enjoy some quality time with his family during the holidays.
Things didn’t go as planned for John. It had been quite a while since he had been in a cave, and he had grown since then, standing at six feet tall and weighing 200 pounds. During the caving expedition, after about an hour, John decided to explore the Birth Canal, a tight passage in Nutty Putty Cave. He cautiously made his way into what he believed was the Birth Canal, using his hips, stomach, and fingers to move forward. But soon enough, he realized that he had made a serious mistake.
John found himself in a real tight spot. He realized he was stuck and couldn’t even turn around. There was no room to wriggle back out the way he came, so he had to try pressing forward. He attempted to exhale and squeeze through a space that was as narrow as the opening of a clothes dryer. But when he took another breath and his chest expanded, he got stuck for good. It must have been a terrifying situation for him.
John’s brother was the first one to find him, but unfortunately, his attempts to pull John out didn’t work. Instead, John slid further into the passage and became trapped even worse than before. His arms were pinned beneath his chest, leaving him completely immobile.
In that helpless situation, both John and Josh, who are devout Mormons, turned to prayer. Josh prayed for guidance as they worked through the ordeal, while John prayed to be saved for the sake of his wife and kids.
Eventually, Josh hurried to the cave exit to seek help. Even when assistance arrived, John remained trapped 400 feet into the cave and 100 feet below the Earth’s surface. It took about an hour to bring people, equipment, and supplies down to that depth.
The first rescuer to reach John was a woman named Susie Motola, who arrived around 12:30 AM on November 25. Despite only being able to see his navy and black running shoes, she introduced herself to John and provided some much-needed support.
John expressed his gratitude to Susie for her presence, but he made it clear that he really, really wanted to get out of the cave.
“I Really, Really Want To Get Out”
Over the next 24 hours, more than 100 rescue personnel worked tirelessly to free John from the depths of Nutty Putty Cave. Their best plan involved using a system of pulleys and ropes to try and extract John from his incredibly tight spot.
Shaun Roundy, one of the rescuers at the scene, explained the challenges faced by anyone, even experienced spelunkers, who ventured into Nutty Putty Cave. The passages were dangerously narrow, starting from the entrance where warning signs had been placed.
The way John was trapped in a downward angle was really tough on his body. In that position, his heart had to work extra hard to pump blood out of his brain. Normally, gravity helps with that, but in this case, his heart had to do all the work.
The rescuers had tied John with a rope connected to a series of pulleys, and they were all set to pull with all their strength. But out of nowhere, one of the pulleys failed. Roundy believes that the pulley came loose from its anchor point in the cave wall, which had loose clay.
With the rope-and-pulley operation no longer an option, the rescuers didn’t have any other viable plans, and John remained trapped. Roundy often replays the rescue mission in his mind, even years after the incident. He wishes they could have done certain things differently or acted a bit sooner, but he knows there’s no point in second-guessing. They did their absolute best.
It’s really heartbreaking to hear that John couldn’t be rescued and passed away due to the strain on his heart. The rescuers worked tirelessly for 27 hours to save him. Even though it’s such terrible news, it’s touching that John’s family still expressed their gratitude to the rescuers.
Nutty Putty Cave truly lived up to its reputation on that fateful night. Dale Green, who discovered the cave in 1960, named it Nutty Putty because of the clay found in the narrow tunnels, which likely caused the pulley to fail. In its prime, the cave used to attract around 25,000 visitors per year.
It’s really sad to think that no one will ever explore the cave again.
After John’s tragic passing, officials made the difficult decision to permanently seal off Nutty Putty Cave. They chose not to recover his body, as they feared it could lead to further accidents and loss of life. So, to this day, his remains remain inside the cave. It’s a precautionary measure to prevent any more potential tragedies.
It’s a solemn thought that Nutty Putty Cave now stands as a natural memorial and resting place for John Edward Jones. The cave, sealed up after his tragic incident, serves as a lasting tribute to his memory.
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