The day before Thanksgiving in 2009 I was invited to assist with the Nutty Putty Cave rescue of John Edward Jones. I ended up being the last person to see him alive, though at the time I arrived he was mostly unconscious. Since that time I have received numerous questions from reporters and curious individuals. Recently there has been an uptick in those requests as a result of some viral videos that have been posted. This is my attempt to provide information and help answer the questions that I am qualified to answer.
The day after the rescue efforts failed I wrote up a detailed account from my perspective of the rescue while it was fresh in my mind. Keep in mind that this is only one perspective from someone who arrived at the scene toward the end of the rescue efforts.
For a more well-rounded perspective I would encourage you to read Lindsay Whitehurst’s two-part Salt Lake Tribune article.
I will provide some commentary below my report with the footnote number indicated in report in parenthesis.
WARNING: This report contains descriptions of John Jone’s condition, passing, and post-mortem condition that could be disturbing to some readers. Out of respect for John and his family, I have tried to keep descriptions as general possible while addressing the challenges we were up against.
Nutty Putty Rescue Report
Written for SAR on November 25, 2009
I received the first call at 9:00 or 10:00 AM from Spencer Christian and Rodney Mulder that there was a rescue underway at Nutty Putty. They asked me if I could assist, but after asking a few questions about what was going on it seemed there were already enough people on site to carry out the rescue. I told Spencer and Rodney that if the rescue went on for a while and people started getting exhausted, and they absolutely needed me, that I would come.
About 5 hours later Spencer called me up and asked me to respond, saying that people were getting tired and they really needed small cavers. So I left work at about 4:00 PM, ran home to grab my caving gear and then headed out to Nutty Putty. I arrived at the site at about 6:00 PM and was put on the next group to go in the cave at about 6:30 PM.
When I arrived to the main passage at the opening of the Birth Canal people were working on the 4 to 1 haul system they had installed. I assisted for about 5 minutes, until it was decided that the system didn’t seem to be working (1) and the people by John Jones (the victim) needed a break. So the cavers that were working with John headed out.
On the way out I spoke with Andy Armstrong. I asked him how John was doing and he said that he was quickly going downhill, that he was in and out of consciousness and had started talking about seeing angels and demons around him.
As soon as they were out, we decided that I would head in first to assess the situation and see if I had any ideas for removing him, and then Debbie would work with John, since she had already spent some time with him getting to know him and she thought he would feel more comfortable with her.
So I went in first. In the back of the passage, right before you arrive at where John now is, there is an extremely tight crawl perhaps 18 inches wide and about 8 to 10 inches tall that takes a sharp 90 to 120 degree turn that you have to enter feet first. You have to maneuver yourself very carefully and you cannot see where your feet are standing until you pass the restriction. As I wormed my way in I felt my feet touch something soft which ended up being John’s feet. I felt them move and immediately lifted my feet and worked my way horizontally into the crack.
John’s feet were about 6 feet past the constriction and I was able to shift myself to the side of him and down the 4 foot wide fissure. After stabilizing myself by jamming my body into a narrower section of the crack I began speaking to John asking him how he was and introducing myself. There was no response. I shifted my position a little and tapped him on the leg. I could hear him breathing a deep gurgling breath, as though his lungs were filling with fluid. Then his feet shifted as though he were trying to maneuver his legs out of the crack he was jammed in. The kicking looked fairly frantic and after a second he stopped and it looked as though he had drifted into unconsciousness. (2) I continued tapping him on the legs and hip to see if I could get a response, but there was no response.
From there I spent a few minutes studying the passage, the positioning of John, and the rig that was set up, to see how we could get him out from here. It looked very bleak. I wondered if it was even possible to get him beyond this point. We could continue trying the rig, but it looked like he could only be lifted another foot or two in his current position because of where the webbing was anchored around his knees. After a foot or two his feet would hit the ceiling. And then once he reached the ceiling, there was no way to tilt him to a horizontal position. He would have to do it himself, but he was now unconscious. And even if we could get him into a horizontal position, he would then have to maneuver the most difficult sections of the passage he was trapped in. If he were conscious and had his full strength there was a minute chance he could possibly do it. But even if that was the case it looked grim. It was even difficult for me, weighing 125 pounds, to get myself out. At the bend where the restriction was I had to creatively contort my body to slip through. So to get a 210 pound, unconscious person out seemed pretty much impossible. The other option I saw was to use a jack hammer to widen the crack he was and remove a couple of knobs and then widen the tight spot, and then pull him straight out. He would be cut up very badly and probably end up with several broken bones, but if nothing else would work, that seemed like the best option.
Between me climbing out and Debbie taking my place there was a request to take the radio down to John so that his family could say some words to him. I think it was his father, mother, and wife who spoke to him, telling him that they loved him and were praying for him and that his father had given him a blessing. His wife mentioned a feeling of peace, that everything would be OK. She talked to him about 5 to 10 minutes before I told her that we needed to get back to working at getting him out.
At that point I crawled out to let Debbie squeeze past and take a look and assess the situation, but when she got to the tight hole, both legs cramped up and she was unable to make it down. At that point I decided to try using the jack hammer. So we waited for it to arrive and then I carried it down to where John was located. The tool was much heavier than I anticipated and to hold it up while wedging my body in the crack took everything I had. Even then, I couldn’t get a good angle on the rock because of the confined space and limitations in my own mobility and positioning. I only got three tries at a small lip just below Johns foot, but because of my angle the hammer just kept sinking into the sand at the side of the rock lip. I tried shifting my position, but it seemed like everywhere else I moved I couldn’t get a handle on the jack hammer because of it’s length. I only had about 2.5 feet of space between me and the rock that needed drilled and the jack hammer was probably 3 to 4 feet long. And then trying to hold it in such an awkward position wore me out pretty quick.
At that point I requested something smaller, but there didn’t seem to be anything available, and even if there had been I don’t know if a small hammer drill would have done much against the solid limestone walls. So we returned to the Birth Canal to have a quick meeting to decide what to do.
At that point it sounded like the drills were having issues or something like that, and the only option we had for drilling was to use the compressed air hammer. It took probably an hour or so to get hose down so we could use it. While we waited, we decided that perhaps the best bet was to try widening the hole from the top down, working our way towards John instead of away from him. Once the drill arrived Debbie, Max, and I spent about an hour and a half chipping at the passage a couple of feet above the tight spot – about 7 to 9 feet away from John. Areas where the rock was softer came apart fairly easy, but the harder formations took an incredible amount of effort. The main problem was that because space was so limited it was difficult to hit the rock at the right angle, so instead of chipping off the knob you would end up cutting a hole straight into the floor.
After an hour and a half we had only knocked off about a 18” x 4” section of rock on the ceiling and on the ground. And that was at the wider section of the passage. From that point on the cave was even tighter so that if you were laying in the passage and weighed 125 pounds you only had about 3 to 6 inches of space above you. Not very ideal for holding a jack hammer or even being able to choose the most effective angle. To continue the process, or even if we switched to micro-blasters, my estimate was anywhere from 3 to 7 days to get back to where John was. So once again we regrouped to decide what the next plan of action was.
By now it was close to midnight and we were asked to check vitals on John. They sent in a smaller paramedic to see if he could get back to John. In the event he couldn’t he showed me how to use the stethoscope and thermometer and where to check for a pulse. It was 11:30 PM when we left the group by the birth canal and ventured down the passage. It took about 15 minutes to get to John. I went first to check, just in case the paramedic couldn’t fit. I first tried the stethoscope and was only able to get it about 3 inches up and to the right of his naval. I didn’t hear a distinct heart beat, only some ruffling, fluttering sounds that were probably a result of me shaking as I tried to steady myself in an awkward location. I then jammed my hand between the rock and pressed as far up his torso I could go to feel for breathing. I didn’t think I felt anything, but again it was difficult to tell as I was shaking from trying to steady myself. His chest, where it was pressed up against the rock, felt warmer than the rest of his body and was sweaty, but every where else his body temperature was close to the temperature of the rock on the cave walls. From there I removed his shoe and attempted to check his temperature. The thermometer read nothing, which the paramedic said was because the temperature was below the range. As I took his shoes off and moved his feet I noticed that his feet and legs were significantly stiffer than they had been earlier and it was difficult to his leg more than a few inches.
I reported my findings to the paramedic above and then crawled out so that he could see if he could squeeze in. He was able to get dow to the point where he could feel his feet and confirm he had passed away. John Edward Jones was pronounced dead at 11:52, I believe it was.
At that point we decided to return topside for a debrief to discuss what our next plan of action would be. As everyone headed out, the paramedic and I went back in to take pictures of the passage and John’s position.
With John now deceased the effort required to remove his body would be exponentially more challenging. His stiffening body wouldn’t be able to make the bend through the tight spot above his feet, without significant alterations to the passage, which could take days or weeks with a hammer drill, perhaps slightly faster with micro-blasters. Any swelling would make it next to impossible to get him out of the crack he was wedged in until the swelling had reduced. There was no way to connect him to a rope other than by his feet. After a few days, we would need a hazmat suit and masks to work with the body, which would severely overheat any rescuers trying to get him out. With pants and a short sleeve shirt a person is usually dripping with sweat in about 10 to 15 minutes and can work for about 30 to an hour before needing a break. With a hazmat suit and mask you could probably work for 5-10 minutes before needing a break, not to mention the limit to your mobility. The body recovery idea looks very grim. (3)
Photos from the Rescue
NOTES
- The 4 to 1 haul didn’t work because there were so many twists and turns in the cave between where there was room for a group to stand and haul and John’s position that the friction, even with pulleys in place was enough to render the haul system ineffective.
- This was the moment he passed away.
- Ultimately it was decided it would be too risky to rescuers to attempt to remove the body, and to this day Nutty Putty Cave is the final resting place of John Jones.
RESOURCES
VIDEOS
COMMENTS
Comment about Comments Below
I really appreciate everyone’s kind and encouraging words in the comments below, as well as your questions. Unfortunately, I no longer have time to respond to questions and comments. I will continue to approve the comments you post as long as they are family friendly, but just know that I only log in to approve comments every few weeks.
Thanks again for your kind words!
Who the hell even made the nutty putty cave.
Hi Brandon I’ve been reading and watching videos about this for a long time now . Its good you take the time to reply to people aslo good to here actual facts from somone who was there the thing I don’t get is in your photos you see you and the paramedic going in head frist btween D7 to D9 how did you both turn around if it was so tight in there to go feet first ?
Do you ever speak to any of the other cave rescuers that were there
Something I thought of, that hasn’t been mentioned in anything I’ve read on this, is the body mechanics related to the positioning of John’s shoulders. With one arm forward and one arm back, he had narrowed himself obviously by the pivoting of his shoulders. However, when pulling him backwards from his legs, his shoulders would naturally widen in the reverse direction, much like an anchor. Without knowing the exact geometry of the opening, I’m making some assumptions his shoulders were in collapsed positioning, making it almost necessary to pull him from his legs *and* his backwards facing arm. Otherwise he’s a human anchor much like a winged drywall anchor that only goes in but can’t come out.
I also wonder the words exchanged between John and Josh before they entered, and at what point John knew he was in trouble. By the limited interviews I’ve seen with Josh, he seem to have a look of guilt. I wonder if he encouraged John to go first, and/or if he encouraged him to go forward despite being in trouble at the corkscrew. Josh may have encouraged him to push forward, which would go against his instincts to stay put and call for help. From what I’ve read, and you’ve said on here, he probably knew he was in trouble long before the slope downward even began. At which point, he could have stopped (maybe did even) before the 70-degree slope. Only to be encouraged by his brother. We’ll never know, but everything about this story is emotional, and thought-provoking.
Much like others here, this tragic story I can’t seem to stop thinking about. Thanks, Brandon, for explaining everything so thoughtfully from your first-hand account, along with all your experience. Mad respect for you.
1. Yes, probably about 10 feet behind him.
2. I went in head first for the first 15 feet or so and then turned around in a little cubby and then continued about 10 feet before I arrived at where John was.
Small world. I’ll check with my brother and see what he remembers.
Those are all good questions most of which I don’t have answers for. For your question, “I thought somewhere Brandon talks about how the rescuers only went in feet first but how can that be if they tied rope around his legs and tried to give him water?” Where he was stuck and small person could slide in beside him where they could secure the rope to his legs.
In that photo both of us are in the passage feet first. I’m down the hole where John is and he is just above me. Yes, I did speak to other rescuers, but we didn’t spend too much time over analyzing it. Just the basics to figure out what went well, what didn’t go so well, and what could SAR do in the future.
Thank you for all of this info on the incident, a huge thank you for the attempts on trying to save John, took a heck of a lot of courage to attempt that, my hats off to you sir!! Condolences for John’s friends and family, my thoughts and prayers are with John and everyone that had a connection to this incident. Respect…..
Questions:
(a.) Why wasn’t peanut oil at least attempted since it was proposed and already procured. It seems it might have helped, and not taken much time.
(b.) When you arrived late in the rescue why did you burn a couple hours jackhammering in the tunnel on the way to John. Why waste the time?
(c.) Why isn’t there an exact pairing between drill bit size and anchor bolts? That’s a rookie mistake, that is well established in any mechanical-type field e.g. auto-mechanics, construction, engineering. It seems every rescue team should not be guessing at drill bit size (you mentioned too bit size too big). What a horrible mistake.
(d.) Why didn’t Susie Motola go back in after her first contact — It didn’t seem she would be exhausted?
(e.) When attempting to use the pulley system, why wasn’t John tied closer around his hips? You mentioned checking his body temperature by placing your hand up by his navel area. My goodness that well past his hips! Obviously hoisting from his feet would hit the ceiling very quickly, but hoisting from his hips/waist region would give the flexibility to finesse his legs moreso since his legs would then be more loose and free.
(f.) Is there really nobody who knows why John had pressed forward, and/or if he slid down into that position — what does Josh have to say about that??
(g.) I realize none of us where present during this rescue attempt, and there is a lot of details we can’t possibly know, but it really seems like a botched rescue imo. So many mistakes made, and too many inconsistencies in the story, and not enough actual truth.
(h.) Although any cave is “wild”, it was in fact closed for many years due to safety concerns, then re-opened. I think one might make the erroneous assumption that the cave was further vetted for safety, marked with signage, and otherwise ‘cleared’ for re-opening. I agree with the above commenter that the administration of the cave is negligent on this. A simple sign / spray-paint or otherwise closer of any tube openings that are high risk. Especially the KNOWN areas of danger where previous rescues had taken place.
I admire and respect your efforts a rescuer, but it just seems there is many suspicious inconsistencies, borderline negligence, and information gaps that persist. I’m not alone on thinking this way. Many people have the same takeaway on the harrowing, and unforgettable tragedy that triggers all of our deepest fears, and compassion.
Thank you for answering these questions Brandon.
1. On the map what does it mean when theres an area away from the main passages and has a black line through it?
2. How tight was this area in comparison to others such as Aorta Crawl, the helmet eater, pats climb, etc.
Thank you for taking the time to replying they said in one of the video over a 140 rescue workers were there but only 7 could get to where he was must of been a super tight place to get to .
1 was it yourself that when you went down there did the pully break and hit you in the face ? Or was that 1 of the other rescuers ? When they pulled you out someone els went in but got stuck them selfs ?
2 was the 1st person to reach Jonh susie Mottola do you guys work together in Utah on the same rescue team ?
3 I seen in some pictures different colours cables going down what are they ?
Hello Brandon,
I read your story, and it deeply moved me. I want to extend my sincere condolences to John’s family and loved ones. There is something that has been on my mind, do you think that today, in 2025 (16 years later), with current knowledge and equipment, you would have been able to save him ?
Best regards
Hi Brandon…… Instead of using pulleys, what if you used a cordless drill with flat webbing to wind up on a 12″ concrete drill bit shaft anchored over the top of him? Webbing could be girth-hitched around his waist. Possibly used a set of 4’s (4 to 1 personal mech advantage system perhaps). Just curious if you have thought about other techniques to use and what were they? I rigged up a cordless drill and demonstrated the power this has to lift a large 1000′ of rope on a wooden spool.
Thanks in advance, Brandon
Hi Brandon! First of all, you have my deepest respect for your bravery in the rescue business, and your scientific efforts to help map the unknown of Mother Earth.
In a earlier post there was a question about the possibillity of drilling vertically from the surface down: You said it would have cost millions, taken to much time and potentially be to unprecise. However, with today’s equipment fifteen years later – Would it have been possible to use carefully rigged explosives from the surface down, combined with vertical drilling and advanced deep penetrating ground radar/ ultrasound and thermal imaging to “land on his head” and just lift him straight up in a helicopter?
I guess 24 hours + are just to small of a time window to operate in this harsh environment for a successful outcome. It would probably require ‘otherwordly’ technology that lies decades ahead of present day.
Hi Brandon,
Just one question for me. 🙂 If John had stopped before going down the fissure/crevice at the 70 degree angle. Would he have been able to be rescued?
Hi Brandon, your bravery is commendable, even though you’ve mentioned that you’re completely comfortable in situations like this, it’s impossible for the average person like me to comprehend how you do what you do.
I have a few questions, sorry if some are repeats:
1) Ed’s Push is seemingly quite dangerous for non-experts, and I understand how a non-experienced caver could enter the wrong passage. Considering people have gotten stuck in Ed’s Push, how easy it might’ve been to accidentally enter that route instead of the Birth Canal, and the dead end, do you think Ed’s Push should’ve just been closed off before?
2) You mentioned that you went in the hole before John got stuck but feet first. Did you ever consider that the passage could be deadly? (I’d assume not since you’ve seen hundreds of similar passages)
3) Given that Nutty Putty was such a popular cave, do you think it was simply a matter of time until someone got stuck like that?
4) You mentioned that if you were stuck in the same position, an experienced person like yourself is “likely” to escape. I was under the impression that both of John’s arms were pinned, so how would someone escape that situation without outside help?
Also – I think you said that many have explored Ed’s Push so there is probably photos/videos available of it, but from what I could find, your photos and one video showing the entrance is all that is available on the internet. Kind of makes it more ominous.
Thank you!
Thanks for your comment. You’re right. There is a lot of mixed information out there, which make putting together an accurate picture of what and why. Good luck working through all that.
1. Those are cross sections of what the passage is shaped like there.
2. Probably about the same, except it is vertical where the others are horizontal.
1. It was Ryan Shurtz.
2. I don’t know. I wasn’t there at that time.
3. Radio cables and electricity.
Probably not.
Maybe, but it would have been very, very expensive and risky.
Easily. Yes.
1. It would depend on how familiar you were with the cave and if you had a map and knew how to read it. Without being familiar and having a map, you would really have no idea what was what.
2. Never crossed my mind while I was in there surveying it.
3. Yes.
4. I’m small and in very good shape and a caver and a rock climber. It would have been really hard for me to get out of there head first. Someone who was much larger and not in the best shape like John it would have been impossible.
I don’t remember when, but I read about this story quite a while ago. The account that I read said that the brothers were “racing”. I hate to add conjecture but this stuck out to me, and I don’t see references to it anywhere now. Apparently he had been there before as a teenager with his brother so maybe they ended up having a tragic ending to nostalgia.
Brandon,
I just wanted to thank you for your effort on this rescue even all these years later. I don’t think the average person can understand how dangerous that area of the cave was and what you put your body through to try and save the life of John. God bless you my friend.