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.
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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!
Hi, thanks for taking the time to write this all up and answer questions. I was curious about the location of some areas of Nutty Putty.
1.) The story is that John was looking for the entrance to the Birth Canal, but instead took the path that led to Ed’s Push (entrances seen in the ‘Nutty Putty Cave Part 4 of 5’ video around 6:20 on YouTube). Once you were in either tunnel entrance how different were they / how easily could you tell them apart? On the map they look quite different.
2.) Was the Birth Canal just that small section that led to the larger room where you could access the entrance to the longer Aorta Crawl?
3.) How was the Scout Eater area accessed? It looks like maybe there is an entrance to another tunnel in the room that the Birth Canal led to that runs under the Aorta Crawl that then turns and cuts across it.
4.) Did you have a favorite section of the cave?
Thank you!
Why didnt they tried to removed his pants and oiled up the leg so it become slippery to get out🤔
I live in Ogden and this story still haunts me. Every time I think I want to read about it again, I end up crying and regretting it. Thank you for trying so hard to free him. You’re a true hero
Quite an experience for us readers” going through the cave” with your description. My question is regarding extricating John’s body after his unfortunate demise.
Would it have helped to fill the hole with water so that his body floated up? I don’t mean flooding the cave entirely and jeopardizing the rescuer’s life, just enough water to fill that hole where he was stuck and not a drop more.
You can’t use heavy machinery underground like you can above ground which means that digging back to where he was would take weeks or months that we didn’t have. Even heavy machinery above ground can take a very long time to drill a human sized hole.
I think I could have. The key would be staying calm and quietly exploring with your available limbs any sort of leverage you could manage. Also physical fitness would also be key.
That’s a good question. I don’t think we’ll ever know, but it is fun to think up possibilities in hindsight.
The illustrations are general and don’t depict the varying tightness of the passage. It’s hard to represent in 2D a complex 3D passage. Suffice it to say it was very tight and much more irregular than anyone has been able to represent accurately.
I wonder if by the time of the failed pulley extraction, had it been successful and John had been pulled into a near horizontal position, if he wouldn’t have immediately gone into shock and perished from the sudden drop/change in blood pressure anyway. I strongly suspect this would have been the case. Rescuers likely had considerably much less time to actually accomplish the rescue than realistically feasible.
Brandon, are there markings used in spelunking that could have been used to ward off cavers from the passage John died in?
Brandon, thanks for taking the time to answer so many questions.
How many feet below surface straight vertical do you believe John was?
After seeing a reddit post about thos, I’ve been so fascinated by the whole incident even though I have 0 knowledge about caves and cave exploration. Trying to visualize in my mind exactly what the birth canal and eds push area looks like, it’s one of those things that’s really interesting to me especially on what could’ve been beyond the area he got stuck in (I know you said in another comment that it took a 90° horizontal turn to what was possiblya dead end but still). Something else I can’t get out of my mind is that his skeleton still reminds in the same position and in the same clothing as that very day.
Besides all that, I’m glad to have read it from your perspective, after all these years and to know you’re still safe and well.
Hey Brandon,
First, thank you for volunteering and rescue service. I’ve never gone caving, nor really had the desire to, but I’ve done my share of ‘dangerous’ activities – mostly surfing/motorcycle trackdays/mountain biking. I moved to Utah from Florida in 2009 and remember this story shortly after arriving here. For some reason, it has always stuck with me. When they were filming “The Last Descent,” did they reach out and consult you for details of the rescue? Also, am I correct in stating that you went feet-first towards John’s location, and then when you reached his area, you were able to twist around to be able to feel for a pulse/tap his legs to see if he was still conscious, etc? Hypothetically speaking, If it were possible to safely recover John’s remains and the family wished it so, what do you think the consensus would be to those who cave concerning the reopening of Nutty Putty?
The whole situation was just so unfortunate, at the time this happened I did not have kids, but now I have two young sons. The risk-taking activities no longer seem appropriate. Anyway, thank you again for telling the story and your service.
Hi Brandon!
First I want to thank you for writing a more detailed explanation about this incident from your point of view. I have been doing a lot of research about it and I can’t believe you are the one in the pictures. They are all over the internet when searching for the Nutty Putty Cave incident.
Just like some people here, I have a few questions that I have not been able to find answers online. I believe you might be able to answer them if you want.
1. When you got in the cave, I assume this was after they tried to pulled him over and the pulley system broke and he went back down, correct? I have read many stories saying they pulled him up and it was working. They managed to pull him up enough where they were able to give him some water and even managed to look at his eyes. At the fourth try that’s when the arch that was holding the pulley broke. My question is: if that pulley had not broken, you think they would have been able to get him out? It kind of seems that way from what I have read.
2. When you went in and saw the entire situation, did you ever thought it was unfortunately impossible to take him out? Or you thought it was actually doable and it just needed time and patience? I have read that the unfortunately it was impossible to take him out because of how complicated it was to do. His weight and size made it pretty much impossible.
That is all. Thanks again for your time and patience!
The patient always takes precedence over the wellbeing of the cave. The problem is that the tools don’t exist that could have helped us bore fast enough to get him out before it was too late.
I think I could have, but it would have been difficult.
I don’t think we’ll ever know. With all the bends in the cave I think a cable would have snapped or been useless with all the friction, and with the best tools out there it still would have taken us weeks to dig back to where he was. Most people only survive around 12 hours in that position. He was a trooper and stuck with us for about 27 I think it was.
No. They were only able to lift him a couple of feet and were attempting to get him to turn himself upright when the pulley failed. The paramedic said if they had succeeded in turning him he probably would have died shortly after when all the toxic blood that had pooled in his feet in the hours leading up to that circulated to his head.
Definitely.
I don’t know the origin of that passage name.
1. Maps and the actual cave can look very different and so it can be easy for someone who isn’t good at reading cave maps to get confused.
2. Yes. The birth canal is only about 5 feet long and then it opens up.
3. After you go through the birth canal there is a passage that goes to the left and then along that passage is a tube that branches to the left. That is where the Scout Eater is.
4. The cave was all very fun and sporty. Too back this happened and it was closed.
His legs weren’t stuck. It was his position and his torso that put him in a bad spot.
Cavers often work with land managers to build gates on sensitive caves, but even with gates, vandals find ways to break in. I’ve seen instances where vandals use blowtorches, welders, bolt cutters, explosives, and other means to try and break in. So I think filling the passage with cement is probably the best option . . . if you can get the cement down to the passage you want to fill.
My guess would be 50-100.
The filmmakers for the Last Decent never reached out to me specifically, but I think they may have reached out to the sheriff’s office. They did invite all the rescuers to a pre-screening of the film, which was nice. I thought it was a well done film. They definitely took a lot of creative liberties, but that is what filmmakers do. Based on a true story never means true to what actually happened. They just use the facts as a jumping off point.
Yes, I went in feet first and could reach John’s lower body.
Since the cave is on state trust lands and state trusts are not really land management agencies I don’t think they would ever be open to reopening the cave. State trusts are basically organizations that flip state-trust land to generate revenues for public schools.
1. I think if the pulley hadn’t broken when they flipped John upright he would have died within minutes after being suspended upside down for so long. The toxins from poorly circulating blood would have gone to his brain and ended it for him. That’s what one of the paramedics said would have been most likely.
2. When I got back there I couldn’t see any other options for getting him out besides attempting to jackhammer our way back to him from about 20 feet away. But after working the rock for 2 hours and only getting a few inches off the rock, we couldn’t see any other options.