The last person to see John Edward Jones alive inside the claustrophobic confines of Nutty Putty Cave has shared the horrifying details of the young man's final moments, revealing what the trapped father-to-be saw before his death.
A Fatal Descent into Darkness
In November 2009, 26-year-old medical student John Edward Jones, an experienced caver, joined friends and relatives to explore the notorious Nutty Putty Cave in Utah during the Thanksgiving holidays. The cave, first mapped in the 1960s, was famous for its maze of twisting, slippery passages and tight squeezes, attracting thousands of thrill-seekers annually.
Despite its popularity, the cave had a dangerous history. Authorities had temporarily closed it in 2008 after several cavers became stuck in its cramped tunnels. It reopened in May 2009 under a new permit system, but tragedy struck just months later.
Jones was searching for a narrow crawlway known as the 'Birth Canal' when he made a fatal error. Deep within the cave's labyrinth, he mistakenly entered an unmapped opening near an area called Ed's Push. Believing the drop ahead was a known turnaround point, he slid in head-first.
A Desperate and Impossible Rescue
The passage he entered measured a mere 10 by 18 inches. Once inside, Jones realised to his horror that he was completely trapped, unable to turn around, back out, or even move his body. He was stuck, upside down, in a pitch-black crevice more than 400 feet from the cave entrance.
An urgent rescue operation was launched, with dozens of emergency workers descending into the cave. They worked for hours, constructing a complex rope-and-pulley system to try and free him. At one point, they managed to lift him a few inches, but the rigging failed at the last moment, sending him sliding back into the unforgiving rock.
Even while facing his own terrifying ordeal, Jones showed concern for others. He reportedly asked about a volunteer rescuer who had been injured during the operation, saying, 'Is he OK? I think he's really hurt bad.'
Heartbreaking Final Moments and a Lasting Legacy
By the time cave explorer Brandon Kowallis joined the effort, Jones had been trapped for many hours. Kowallis described hearing a series of gurgling breaths, which he believes was fluid filling Jones's lungs, and seeing his legs twitch uncontrollably as his body deteriorated.
'He was in and out of consciousness and talking about seeing angels and demons,' Kowallis revealed.
Three hours into the ordeal, Jones was visited by a volunteer named Susie, to whom he said, 'Hi Susie, thanks for coming but I really, really want to get out.' As the grim reality set in, his composure broke. 'I'm going to die right here. I'm not going to come out of here, am I?' he asked heartbreakingly.
A radio was lowered so his family could speak to him one last time. A paramedic reached him soon after and pronounced John Edward Jones dead at 11:52pm. The decision was made that recovering his body was too dangerous for rescue teams. As a permanent memorial and a safety measure, Nutty Putty Cave was sealed with concrete and remains closed forever.
