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
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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!
The cave is hypogenic and was filled with water hundreds of thousands of years ago, but that water has all drained out. So I think it would be impossible to fill the cave or passage with water with all the fractures in the rock that drain that water out.
Had the rescue team gone full bore, all in, with the micro-blasting approach from the get-go, you still don’t think it could have worked though?
Hey, Brandon. First of all, let me say that despite the unfortunate outcome of the rescue, you and all the other rescuers were incredibly brave to risk your lives to save John. I have a couple questions.
1. Are there any known images of the place where John got stuck other than the ones you uploaded? Preferably from before he got stuck in it? I know other people have been in there, or at least claim to have been in there. There’s a five-part series of Youtube videos uploaded by people who explored the cave in 2005. In part 4, they briefly show the very entrance to Ed’s Push, which is just over to the left of the Birth Canal’s entrance, and the video description says they went into Ed’s Push but didn’t record it. I’m sure others went in there too but didn’t get stuck. As a side note, the entrance to Ed’s Push looks safer to enter from the outside than the Birth Canal. I can honestly see why John would go down there.
2. I’ve read that the sealing of the cave’s entrance using the concrete is not irreversible. Is it possible that the cave will ever be reopened? With the exception of Ed’s Push, of course?
Hi Brandon.
Thanks so much for putting this information on and allowing people like me to put to bed the unanswered side of this incident, due to conflicting information out there.
One question from me. The corkscrew is mentioned a lot but not referenced on any/your map. Could you let me know which part of the map it is please? I guess at the D3 to D6 area but aren’t sure?
Thanks.
Hi Brandon, thank you for the effort to share this insight despite the sad memories connected to it, I am sure it wasn’t easy for you to relive those agonizing moments while also being ‘bombarded’ along the way from people(myself included) who wanted to learn more about that horrifying incident. I think it is more than obvious that you (all of the rescuers) outdid yourselves in the effort to rescue John from that perilous situation.
I guess a big ‘why’ will remain. Why that poor fellow put himself in that horrible situation in the first place. Why did he push himself to that extreme end while completely disregarding the dangers, his large posture, he must have known that it already meant trouble.
In any case, may he rest in peace and at least let his death be a warning to all of us, explorers and enthusiasts to never go beyond our limits and always think before acting.
Again, a huge respect to your heroic efforts to rescue John Edward Jones.
Regards from Europe
Hello Brandon, I hope you’re doing well! Thank you for taking the time to explain everything that happened so patiently.
I’m curious what the plan was if the rescue team had managed to get John into a horizontal position. How were they going to manoeuvre him back through the corkscrew in his unconscious or worse condition? I think your assessment of the situation as “bleak” is so apt, sadly. I shudder to think that a few of the rescuers had such close calls themselves trying to help John. As tragic as it was, it could have ended worse. I’m thankful you made it out safely to tell your version of events.
Thanks!
1. I don’t know of any photos of the area, but thousands of people visited Nutty Putty before it was closed so I’m sure that there are photos out there somewhere.
2. It’s only the entrance that was cemented so with the right equipment I’m sure someone could excavate it. It would be a pain in the butt though and require a lot of hard work.
That’s a good question. I’m not sure either.
Thanks Andreas!
I think it was more a matter of we’ll cross that bridge when we get there sort of thing. If we could have turned him upright within an hour or so of him getting stuck I think it would have been pretty easy to help him out.
Going into a cave is completely stupid
Hey Brandon,
Thank you so much for this post and answering question. You cleared up a lot of wrong information. You also confirmed what I had suspected: due to his size that once he got stuck it was pretty much over him as sad as that is. He was too big to be in there, at that position, at that angle to begin with. He had no expert there to help him in that first crucial hour and he likely spent any real strength due to panic and adrenaline that was needed to get himself out with assistance. Not to mention the mitigating factors like blood toxicity building up. It’s unfortunate, but by the time Susie initially got there it was just too late.
His ability to breath would be severely hampered and decreased oxygen to his brain to begin with. The other posters that talked about him asking why said he was put there on his head or suffering amnesia (and even chalking it up to foul play) don’t realize that a lack of oxygen can cause these symptoms and confusion.
You also helped clear up the actual map area he was stuck in. There was all kinds of edited versions of the map that had him in supposed offshoot passages from Ed’s Push further away from the actual area.
It’s good to know the rescue team has moved on from this. It’s traumatizing for those of us that weren’t there reading about it even a decade+ later so I can only imagine the trauma you guys felt for a good while after.
Again, thanks for sharing your perspective on the rescue.
Hey Brandon, I saw a photo of a rescue worker putting in a pulley thing into the cave wall. Do you happen to know where that photo was taken at?
Hello, Brandon. Thank you for providing important information.
I come from China. Recently, some people mentioned this story on Bilibili (similar to YouTube[Chinese Edition]) and famous YouTubers. The story of Nutty Putty Cave is really impressive! It was the first cave-related video I ever watched. Before that, I had no knowledge of caves at all. I later watched more videos about caves, but The Cave still left the most profound impression on me. Many Chinese people are also very interested in The Cave. Similarly, a lot of false information has appeared on Chinese internet platforms. Now, videos related to the Nutty Putty Cave have garnered a large number of views, but the stories of other caves are not as impressive.
Now, Nutty Putty Cave and the Birth Canal seem to have become symbols (or memes). Many people, when they see a dangerous cave in a video, refer to it as Nutty Putty Cave, and narrow, dangerous parts of caves are often called the Birth Canal (which is a misunderstanding—I know you’ve mentioned that the Birth Canal is relatively safe). I find this quite strange, but I sometimes can’t help but think of these memes as well. When I think carefully about it, perhaps the cave isn’t as dangerous as it seems, but Nutty Putty Cave has somehow become synonymous with “extremely dangerous caves.” I guess this story is so famous & impressive because of:
a) The unusual names: “The Big Slide” and “The Birth Canal” are very imaginative names, while the names of other caves are relatively dull. Especially “The Birth Canal,” it’s really hard to imagine how they came up with that name.
b) The critical choices: John had two choices—one that seemed hopeful (The Birth Canal) and one leading to death (Ed’s Push). This makes the story particularly compelling.
c) The arduous rescue: When viewers thought John could be successfully rescued, the pulley system failed. You feel the transition from hope to despair.
d) The unusual posture: John remained in an upside-down position the entire time, which is very uncommon.
==========
I’ve read many comments, and their questions are very good. So, I’d like to ask some different questions:
1) Which parts of Nutty Putty Cave do you think are the most dangerous? (Of course, I know Ed’s Push & The Scout Eater)
2) Which parts of Nutty Putty Cave do you find interesting?
3) Is “The Crack” a dead end?
4) Is “The Big Slide” very steep? Do people really slide down it like a slide?
5) What is the environment like in the farthest part, Vein Alley? Is it dangerous/interesting?
Thank you again for providing this important information. I’m also respect to the rescue teams!
Dear Brandon!
Over the past 15 years, I have investigated this tragedy about as thoroughly as any outsider could, and I have wanted to thank you for the courage, discipline, expertise, and humanity you displayed in the effort to rescue John. I have stared—maybe hundreds of times—at those photos of you demonstrating how tight the space was just above John, and I’ve had to fight back my own rising panic at YOUR peril.
Thank you! Thank you for your detailed explanation of John’s situation and the rescue attempt. (You’ve cleared up a number of questions that have plagued me for years.) Thank you for your heroic effort to rescue John. And thank you for being the sort of person who would accept such risk to yourself on behalf of another.
The world is a better, brighter place because of you.
(And please express my gratitude to the other rescuers as well. I’m in awe of all of you.)
Brandon,
Thank you for taking the time and effort to write up this comprehensive account, as well as having the patience to answer every single question (even addressing the repetitive and speculative ones). You are truly an inspiration.
I believe that the longevity of public interest is due to:
1) the large amount of conflicting information available (typically from ‘official’ sources)
2) the intensely tragic circumstances
3) the lack of closure
It is quite the service you have provided in sharing your first hand account. Your details regarding Brock Clark and your profile view maps were incredibly insightful.
It is rare to see such a high value, high effort Q+A on the internet. The Holy Spirit shines through you. I wish you the best of luck in your future endeavors.
Jason
As a former mountain rescuer and volunteer, I fully understand the difficulty of cave rescue.
If rescue in the mountain has a difficulty of 8 out of 10, rescue in the cave is 10 out of 10.
Thank you for your courage and support
from Iran
Hi! And thanks for al of your information off this case, this case is stuck in my mind and I just can’t stop thinking about it, it’s so unnatural and sad in so many ways.
I need to ask this.
when you first saw John in that position, what was you first feeling ? I saw one picture (don’t know if it is John or not but it it’s in the YouTube videos of John case) in the picture it’s 2 legs with knee pads on sticking out from a hole.. a big chill went through my body, it looked like earth was on its way to swallow that persone whole, so unnatural and beyond sad, I feel so sad in my heart reading about this case.. feel so sad for John and his family
How is it possible for the rescuer to fit 2 in that area and for one guy to not even be able to turn around so he makes the decision so squeezed in that tiny hole?
Last question – do you have to go through birth canal first to reach the entrance to Ed’s push ?
Why Did No One Try To Go Head First With A Pulley Attached them..hold on to his feet & have an automatic pulley pulling instead of human strength? Doing this while a second team is trying to dig up top to give him a opening to get out?
Respect Brandon! Absolutely hopeless action. I was a firefighter for three years and based on the fragments of information I had access to (I live in Europe) I wondered if he could be saved at all. Unfortunately, there are so many myths surrounding this tragedy and it is difficult to separate them from the truth. I wonder about two things, the first regarding the reason John ended up where he was and the second regarding the possibility of his rescue: -1 In your opinion, was the possible cause of his situation that he was moving through this channel (entered it) head first and after reaching its end, he tried to change position (turn around, perhaps realizing that he would not come back out feet first) and in the process: A- accidentally slid (slipped) head down into this hole: B- as above but intentionally lowered himself head down to turn and then slid (lost support for his hands) falling into the hole??? I know that this is speculation but his situation was so bizzare and almost scream: how it was possible??? Was there really an option to slide down there or did he just recklessly and deliberately lower himself down without realizing what he was getting himself into? -2 Did he have a headlamp on, keep it on head (working) and after the first rescuers arrived, was he still conscious and sociable enough to be able to assess whether there was a further part of the channel around him and further down, so that instead of trying to go up, he could try to go further down (leave it) in the hope of some greater space to turn or at least change his position to a horizontal one. I know it sounds downright crazy, but from your description it is clear that he was in a hopeless situation and there was nothing left to lose/worse. He could only possibly gain. Or did they try to use a borescope camera to assess John’s exact position and his surroundings? Would that be possible?? -3: Is it true that John was given water through a tube and oxygen/air was pumped into him??? As I wrote – a hopeless situation, of course I saw this 5-part video on YT of the guys crawling in NP and I suspect that’s what it must have looked like there. Salute from Europe!
Hi Brandon,
I just want to commend you for your bravery. I had to be at least 8 when this happened, but I’m stuck in such a research with this incident.
If I could ask, how was John mentally? I read that he was optimistic, and kind and concerned for everyone that came to help him. As time passed, how was his mental state? Was he ever aware of the state of situation? Do you think at any point and time, he knew that it may have been impossible to get him out alive in enough time?
I watched the movie, and as I know how dramatizations go, they depicted him having panic attacks and going unconscious. Did this actually happen? Or was he trying his best to remain calm.
Hi Brandon The information from your report and in the comments here shed more light then anything I have yet to see out there. I am in the very early stages of writing a book about this incident.
My # 1 question is how were you chosen to go in the that area to be with john?
2-When you were activated to respond what was the initial report given to you?
3-What was the mood up at the command post prior to you heading down into the cave?
4-There are various report they gave john food to eat at some point is that true?
Hi Brandon,
First, I wanted to say thank you for making this and sharing your story. I can’t imagine how difficult it is to think back on, the situation is not only tragic but terrifying to read about.
I noticed you mentioned yourself that there’s been a resurgence of traction about this event due to social medias and stories being spread online, and while I don’t know how you or anyone you may know who was part of the situation feel about it, but there are people online that think it’s distasteful.
Especially because there are some individuals planning to release games and medias based around the story of John’s death, stating that his death has happened to others so it’s not specific to him. Yet they use the same situation; a very narrow and tight crawlspace while the character is head first.
I suppose my question is what your opinion on these types of things would be? Do you find it upsetting or are there no personal feelings on the subject? I understand if this is something you can’t really give an opinion on based on how well you knew him and his family.
I hope all is well! Thank you again, for sharing your story.
I would need to see the photo you are referencing.
Hi Sun,
Here are my responses to your questions:
1. There is risk everywhere throughout the cave. I wouldn’t say one area is more risky than another. People have been injured all over the place in there.
2. The entire cave is geologically interesting being hypogenic in nature. It was formed by warm water rising from beneath the earth mixing with cold water coming from above with just the right conditions.
3. It is.
4. Probably 40ish degrees. Steep enough that if you slip and fall it won’t end well. It would be a very bumpy painful slide.
5. Belly crawls and stooping though mostly tight passage. It’s as dangerous as the person exploring it is prepared for.