Published 10:40 13 Sep 2024 GMT+1
Two men visit site where man suffered 'worst death imaginable' and find poignant tribute
Nutty Putty Cave was closed permanently following the tragic death of John Jones in 2009
Anish Vij
Two men went and visited the haunting site where a man suffered the 'worst death imaginable'.
YouTube family Legacy Crawlers travelled to Nutty Putty Cave in Utah, US, to see what it looks like today following the 2009 tragedy.
In that year, spelunker John Edward Jones ventured inside the cave with his brother Josh to an area dubbed the ‘birth canal’.
John Edward Jones visited the cave with his brother in 2009 (Family handout)The 26-year-old medical student - who was with three others - went off with Josh to witness a tight passageway with a turnaround at the end.
But because part of the cave was still unmapped, Jones went through the wrong entrance.
His failed attempt at getting through the 'birth canal’ meant he was stuck in a horrific upside down position.
The 'L-shaped pinpoint' was just 10 inches across and 18 inches high.
Unfortunately, each time Jones breathed and his chest expanded, it further wedged him inside the tight space, with no chance of escaping.
Meanwhile, Josh had little choice but to leave him behind and crawl to the surface to call for help.
He was stuck in this position (Reddit)In a 2023 video, Legacy Crawlers explained: "Unfortunately, on November 24th 2009 a man named John Edwards Jones became stuck and subsequently died after being trapped for about 28 hours.
"Jones, crawling head first, took a wrong turn and became wedged upside down.
"A large team of rescuers came to assist with the sophisticated ropes and poce system but the system failed.
"Jones ultimately suffered a heart attack due to the strain put on his body from being inverted.
"It was determined that Jones's body was unable to be retrieved. The land owners and Jones's family agreed that the cave would be permanently closed, sealing his body.
There's now a memorial plaque at the site. (Legacy Crawlers/YouTube)"Inside, explosives were used to collapse the cave and the entrance was then
sealed off by concrete."
While visiting the harrowing site, the group found a poignant tribute to Jones: "Today, the cave is marked by a plaque to memorialise John Edwards Jones."
Jones' wife, Emily Jones Sanchez, who was pregnant at the time of his death, told Desert News: “I can say that I know for sure, without a doubt, I know there is life after death.
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“I know John is still alive.
"I know because I’ve been able to talk to him since he died, and I’ve had several experiences where the veil has been thin, and I’ve had these sacred moments where I don’t understand everything and my faith is not perfect, but I know he’s out there, and I know there’s life after death.”
A film based on Jones' story was made in 2016, titled The Last Descent, starring Chadwick Hopson Jones as John, alongside Jacob Omer as Josh.Featured Image Credit: YouTube/Legacy Crawlers/Family handout
Topics: US News, YouTube
Anish Vij
Published 14:01 30 Sep 2023 GMT+1
Man tried to crawl through box to show tiny space of cave where dad suffered ‘worst death imaginable’
John Edward Jones found himself trapped in a tiny passageway in Utah's Nutty Putty Cave
Emily Brown
A YouTuber used a see-through box to show the tiny size of the passageway an American man was trapped in when he suffered the 'worst death imaginable'.
John Edward Jones, 26, died on 25 November 2009, after he and some of his family members went to explore the Nutty Putty Cave system in Utah.
Rescuers try to save man trapped in cave
Credit: KUTV News
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John went off on his own during the adventure in a bid to try and find a notoriously tight passage known by explorers as the 'Birth Canal'.
At six foot tall and weighing more than 14 stone, John was a big guy and knew he'd have to crawl through the space, but it wasn't long after he wiggled into what he thought was the 'Birth Canal' that he found himself completely stuck, realising he'd tried to squeeze down the wrong passage.
John had one arm above his head and the other down by his side, and was trapped headfirst in the hole which measured just 10 inches by 18 inches.
To demonstrate just how small that area really is, content creator Seb le Videaste used three pieces of wood and a see-through box to simulate the passage in the cave.
Demonstrating that he stood at a similar height to John, Seb got down on his front and poked his head through the hole before attempting to wiggle the rest of his body through it.
He managed to get his shoulders through and wiggle up to his chest, but Seb never made it all the way through.
Both for Seb, and for John in the cave, there was no way to turn around.
Seb issued a warning to claustrophobes as he posted the video, writing (translated): "CAUTION CLAUSTROPHOBIA."
One viewer made clear they couldn't cope with the idea of being trapped in such a small area, writing (translated): "I already panic when I'm stuck in the toilet because I can't open it."
TikTok/@seb_le_videasteRescuers worked tirelessly to free John, who was a dad-of-one, from the cave, and at one point managed to pull him up slightly through the passage to get him into a more comfortable position.
Things quickly became worse, however, when one of the pulleys used in the rescue mission failed, and John slid back down the passageway.
Tragically, John was never freed from the cave, and he ended up dying due to cardiac arrest.
Authorities in Utah have since sealed the cave, with John's body still inside, in an effort to prevent any other explorers from meeting the same fate.Featured Image Credit: TikTok / @seb_le_videaste / The Jones family handout
Topics: YouTube, US News
Emily Brown
Published 12:42 30 Sep 2023 GMT+1
Harrowing footage shows rescue effort of man just before he suffered 'worst death imaginable'
More than 100 rescue workers tried to save John Edward Jones after he got trapped in Utah
Emily Brown
Footage filmed above a cave system in Utah shows the unsuccessful rescue efforts that went into trying to save a father who got stuck upside down in one of its passages.
John Edward Jones, 26, had gone with his family in 2009 to explore Nutty Putty Cave, located about 55 miles from Salt Lake City, when he suddenly found himself wedged between the rocks.
Rescuers try to save man trapped in cave
Credit: KUTV News
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The dad-of-one, who was six feet tall and around 14 stone (200 pounds), had been looking to explore a passage in the cave known as the 'Birth Canal', which explorers were forced to crawl through.
Thinking he'd found the passage, John crawled inside head first. By the time he realised it was the wrong passage, John was already stuck.
His brother, Josh, was the first to find him and attempt to pull him out, but he had no luck. He went to get help, and rescuers began an hours-long operation in an attempt to free John from the tight passage.
Reporter Fields Moseley was among those on the scene, and described how rescuers had managed to pull John into a more comfortable position, but there was still 16 feet of passage separating him from 'freedom'.
KUTV NewsThe initial efforts to move John turned disastrous when one of the pulleys failed and he slid back further into the hole.
"It's still far from being a recovery; it's a rescue," Sergeant Tom Hodgson, from the Utah County Sheriff's Office, said. "But the longer it goes, obviously, the more concern there is."
Moseley pointed out that things only became harder as John became more and more tired in the passage, as he would be less able to help rescuers with their mission.
"They need him to put some effort into it and maybe get himself out, but he is exhausted," Moseley said. "They're very worried about him."
The Jones Family handoutThe space around John measured just 10 inches by 18 inches, meaning he had no room to turn around, and couldn't wiggle out backwards.
Tragically, rescuer workers weren't able to get John out of the cave, and shortly before midnight on 25 November, 2009, he was pronounced dead due to cardiac arrest in what some have described as the 'worst death imaginable'.
Rescuers were unable to get to John's body even after he died, so a week after he passed away officials sealed off the cave with his body still inside.
The cave remains closed out of fear that other people may become trapped in the passages.Featured Image Credit: The Jones Family handout/CBS
Topics: US News, YouTube, Health, Travel
Emily Brown
Published 19:16 6 May 2024 GMT+1
Harrowing last words of explorer who suffered ‘worst death imaginable’ inside Nutty Putty cave
John Edward Jones is said to have endured '27-hours of claustrophobic hell' inside the Nutty Putty Cave in Utah
Olivia Burke
The Nutty Putty Cave was already notorious among the caving community and welcomed thousands of visitors each year, but it became infamous across the world following the tragic passing of John Edward Jones.
The 26-year-old is said to have suffered the 'worst death imaginable' inside the tourist attraction, situated southwest of Utah Lake and around 55 miles from Salt Lake City, when he fatefully headed inside with his family.
John and three of his relatives had decided to explore the Nutty Putty Cave on 24 November, 2009, just a few days before the Thanksgiving holiday in the US - but sadly, the dad-of-one never made it back out.
The medical student and explorer, who considered himself an experienced caver, is said to have essentially 'crawled into his own grave' when he climbed inside the hydrothermal cave 15 years ago.
John Edward Jones became trapped inside the Nutty Putty Cave. (Family Handout)Although even Boy Scout troops and college students had been inside the Nutty Putty Cave, it was well known for being extremely narrow with tight twists, turns and crawls, where four separate rescue operations had already taken place.
Despite this, the six foot tall and 200lbs John was keen to travel deep into an extremely tight, but still doable, passageway which had a turnaround at the end, known as 'The Birth Canal'.
But the young man had unknowingly taken a wrong turn and had mistakenly entered an unmapped passageway - where he ended up getting trapped in an area measuring just 10 inches by 18 inches.
John was stuck upside-down inside the cave, before he went on to endure what YouTuber FatalBreakdown described as '27-hours of claustrophobic hell' while his brother Josh helplessly watched on.
He was wedged around 400ft from the cave's entrance with no way to turn around, while one arm rested above his head and the other dangled down by his side - prompting a huge rescue mission.
Volunteer Susie Motola explained that despite being trapped on a downward angle, John was still quite chipper.
The dad became stuck in a narrow passageway around 400ft from the cave's entrance. (YouTube/Fascinating Horror)He told her: "Hi Susie, thanks for coming but I really, really want to get out."
Moments of utter panic did ensue though, during which John said: "I'm going to die right here. I'm not going to come out of here, am I?"
More than 100 emergency responders were involved in the efforts and they set up a rope-and-pulley system in the hopes of being able to free him from the passageway.
It seemed to be working for a second and the team were able to lift him high enough to make eye contact with the rescuer who was closest to him, who asked how he was doing.
John responded: "It sucks. I’m upside down. I can’t believe I’m upside down. My legs are killing me."
But suddenly, the pulley system failed under the strain which plunged John back down into the hole and into an even more unfortunate position.
A metal carabiner had slammed into rescuer Ryan Shurtz face and injured him in the chaos - which is what John was more concerned about, even though he was confined inside the Nutty Putty Cave.
The caver passed away after spending 27 hours upside down. (Reddit)He apparently asked: "Is he OK? I think he's really hurt bad."
Another rescuer switched positions with Shurtz, who then realised that John's breathing had become much more shallow and a lot less frequent as he struggled to hold on any longer after an exhausting 27 hours being stuck upside down.
Ultimately, the responders were unable to reach the dad to free him and he was pronounced dead on 25 November, 2009, after he suffered a cardiac arrest.
It was deemed far to dangerous to try and retrieve his body, prompting the Jones' family and the landowner to come to an agreement to permanently close the cave with John still inside.
The Nutty Putty Cave became a memorial to Jones, while the entrance hole was filled with concrete to prevent further access - while John's story lives on as a cautionary tale to cavers around the world.Featured Image Credit: YouTube/Fascinating Horror/The Jones Family handout/CBS
Topics: US News, News, Health
Olivia Burke
Updated 11:08 23 May 2024 GMT+1Published 11:01 23 May 2024 GMT+1
Fatal mistake of dad who suffered 'worst death imaginable' that left him stuck upside down in cave
The remains of the experienced spelunker's body are still there
Jess Battison
Before he had the ‘worst death imaginable’, a dad made a fatal mistake which left him stuck upside down in a cave.
Back in 2009, on 24 November, experienced spelunker (that’s someone who explores and studies caves) John Edward Jones met his tragic fate at the Nutty Putty Caves in Utah, US.
The 26-year-old ventured inside with his mates and split into two groups, as he was joined by his brother Josh.
However, when he entered an area dubbed the ‘birth canal’, he became stuck.
The Last Descent Official Trailer
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As this part of Nutty Putty was still unmapped and Jones attempted to get himself through the wrong entrance, he ended up wedged in there for 24 hours.
And his simple, yet fatal, mistake was thinking he could fit through the birth canal in the first place.
The dad-of-one managed to wriggle himself forward using his hips, finger and stomach but soon realised he was stuck.
Things quickly got worse, as his only option was to inch forward, and in order to do so, he exhaled the air from his lungs so he could manoeuvre through the 'L-shaped pinpoint', which was only 10 inches across and reached a height of 18 inches.
Rescuers tried to rescue Jones from the cave. (The Jones family handout)Unfortunately, each time Jones breathed, and his chest expanded, it further wedged him inside the tight space with no chance of escape.
Josh was the first to discover him trapped in the cave and unsuccessfully tried to pull his calves to free him from the space. He had no choice but to leave his brother behind and crawl to the surface to call for help.
Jones slid further down and remained trapped with his arms pinned underneath his chest. The Utah County Sheriff’s Office arrived with rescuers on hand to attempt to free Jones.
John Edward Jones was trapped inside the Nutty Putty Cave in Utah. (The Jones family handout)"It's very narrow, very awkward, and it's difficult to get rescuers down there," rescuer Shawn Roundy informed the media, adding that Jones was located in ‘absolutely the worst spot in the cave’.
Despite enlisting the help of power tools and a pulley system, the attempts to rescue Jones failed and he tragically died in the cave, where his body still remains more than a decade after the tragedy.
Following his death, the location where his body sat was declared a hazard and filled in with concrete.
He was trapped upside for more than 24 hours before the pressure and stress on his body led to him struggling to breathe before becoming unresponsive.
A film based on the story of Jones and the attempts to rescue him called The Last Descent was released in 2016 starring Chadwick Hopson Jones as John, alongside Jacob Omer as Josh.
