
Unfortunately, it wasn’t over yet, because Jones’ body was still in the Nutty Putty cave. The large crowd of over 100 rescuers were devastated, and mentally and physically exhausted. Rescuers valiantly tried to rescue the young man, but they were no match for the cave at 12:30 am, almost 28 hours after he became stuck, he took his last breath. After many hopeful hours, Jones had a hard time maintaining regular breathing and began to go in and out of consciousness. Nobody could have predicted how impossible the task would be. They spoke to Jones wife over the phone and told her they were going to get him out. In the beginning of the ordeal, rescuers were hopeful. However, the pulley cord could not hold the weight and failed, sending Jones right back into the crowded space.
#JOHN JAMES NUTTY PUTTY CAVE FREE#
At one point, hours later, rescuers were able to temporarily free him from the crevice and give him some food and water.

In order to get him through, they would have to break his legs, and the shock could very well kill him. As Jones feet were hitting the low tunnels ceilings, they realized the walls were at an angle.

As rescuers worked tirelessly on the only plausible remedy, the pulley method, they came to realize something terrifying when Jones began to scream in pain. Various sizes of drills were sent in, but deemed too large and dangerous to use. Six gallons of vegetable oil was brought in as an attempt to essentially slide Jones out of the walls grasp. The rescue team created a pulley system attached to the walls of the cave to slowly pull him out, but it was an extremely slow and tedious process. A trauma physician on the scene predicted Jones had under 10 hours left in this position, before the toxins and fluids in his body would rush to his brain and kill him. He had been in an upside-down position the entire time, and blood was pooling to his brain. Rescuers reached him in about an hour, but already, effects were taking their toll on Jones’ body. So the devout brothers immediately prayed together, then Josh made a call to 911. Josh tried to pull Jones out of the spot, to no avail. At around 6 feet and 200 pounds, his body was engulfed in the walls of Nutty Putty cave. His body was plunged downwards in a narrow tunnel of about 10-14 inches wide.
#JOHN JAMES NUTTY PUTTY CAVE CRACK#
Jones seemed to be hoping that the further he went in the fissure the more it would expand, but the opposite happened, and the crack narrowed in on him. It is believed that Jones sucked in his chest to go into the fissure, but once he took a breath, he was stuck in the extremely tight, uncomfortable position (one arm was pinned underneath him). He looked around, and once he spotted a fissure, he went for it.

He quickly realized how much of a tight space he was in once he realized he couldn’t maneuver his body around. Jones found a hole about the size of a small person, and eagerly dived in headfirst. The challenge was called “The Birth Canal,” (or Bob’s Push), and as the first name suggests it was a very tight squeeze. Even though in the past at least six people had to be expertly freed from inside Nutty Putty, the men were not worried After all, it was still deemed a “beginner’s cave.” The group entered the cave and inspected a larger area before Jones, Josh, and two other friends left the pack towards a challenge. Jones’ brother Josh had organized the trip as a throwback to past family cave diving outings, and a way to enjoy the Thanksgiving weekend together.

On the evening of November 24th, 2009, Jones met with a few of his brothers and friends for a group trip into Nutty Putty Cave, a hydrothermal cave in Utah. He and Emily met while they were attending at Brigham Young University, and were married shortly after. Jones was not only a promising med school student, but also a new dad to a 1-year-old daughter with his beautiful wife Emily. John Jones, age 26, from Stansbury Park, Utah, seemed to be set up for a successful life. Unfortunately, even equipped with all of these advantages, a fun exploration trip between a group of friends and family, sadly turned into one man’s final resting place. It is a hobby that requires experience, finesse, and proper knowledge and tools. Forever Entombed Case File: Spelunker, John Jones and the Nutty Putty Cave Tragedy Spelunkers are cave explorers who dive deep into the most unique and fascinating parts of the earth.
