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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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!
Hi Emelie. When I first saw how he was stuck I went straight into problem solving mode. In my mind this was going to be like other rescues where we eventually got the person out, but after several minutes assessing the situation I knew it was dire.
It was very tight and difficult to contort my body back to where he was.
You pass by the birth canal on the way to Ed’s Push, but you don’t go through it.
Good thought. I think doing so would have put the rescuer at risk of serious injury.
Good questions. I would imagine that he thought he would be able to turn around, but then the farther he pushed the more desperate his situation became, but he probably kept pushing forward in the hopes things would open up and he could turn around.
I wasn’t there when he was conscious, but I know they attempted to get him food and water. A tube would have made sense. There would have been no need to pump oxygen, there is plenty of air in the cave.
They didn’t use a borescope camera since we had the map and a couple of us were able to get back to where he was.
I think he realized the desperate state of his situation. I would imagine the mental and cognitive decline that would have happened as he got closer to death was subtle enough and distorted his perceptions enough that he was probably not fully aware of what was going on. I believe he did have moments of panic, but I wasn’t there during any of those. Most people do panic when they get stuck and can’t free themselves after a few seconds or minutes.
1. I am well connected in the caving community and known to be a small competent caver with a lot of experience. I think that is why they reached out to me to help, because very few people could get back to where he was.
2. They told me he was in a very precarious position and in and out of consciousness and needed me to go back and see if I could figure out something the others had not yet figured out to free John.
3. Very serious and concerned.
4. I wasn’t around when he was conscious, but I believe this is true.
I have no control over what other people choose to do, so I really don’t pay much attention to it, or let it bother me. No point in making myself miserable over something I have no control or influence over.
The best way I can describe the photo is the rescue worker was drilling in the pulley into the cave wall and another rescuer was above him when the photo was taken.
In the final photo, showing the paramedic’s leg and feet, are those John’s feet sticking out from the crevice?
I’ll try my best to describe the photo. The rescuer was drilling a hole in the cave wall to put the pulley into it. There was someone above him who took the picture.
No. Those are the paramedics feet from my perspective. Basically the reverse of the image that is two pictures above it.
Hmm. Yeah, I don’t remember that one. If you have a link to it that would help.
Here is the link to the pic https://images.app.goo.gl/fdBrqDKEksPHcuWB9
Do you think it might be possible to sit down with you and have a face to face meeting about this and the dangers of spelunking, what are some other caves to enjoy throughout Utah, etc.?
Hi Brandon,
Thanks for explaining and making the situation so clear, it must take a lot of time and patience to give us all the answers.
The answer you gave to someone who asked what your first feelings on arrival of the scene were (immediatly into reasoning, technical and problemsolving thinking modus) is not a tool many people have. I’m a nurse, and I know this tool is so worthy.
And I think, he didn’t have much chance if any.
Keep up the good life!
Dear Brandon,
I came across this terrible accident a few months ago, and since then, it has been haunting me a little. Since then, I was looking for more information, but it was sometimes contradictory.
So, thank you for all the clear and precise explanations, and for answering all the questions (which I was also wondering about).
A huge respect to your heroic efforts to rescue John Jones : may he rest in peace.
Thank you again for sharing your perspective on the situation, and I wish you a happy life.
Best regards from France.
Looking at the equipment on hand and being a rescuer myself…. I wonder about using the drill with a 12″ 1/2″ Mason drill bit and a cordless drill with Webbing that wraps around the bit….. drill into the cave wall to anchor it and use the torque of the drill and Webbing around shaft of drill bit to lift him. I understand one rescuer was able to get rope around his waist. Maybe 2 pulleys would be all you needed, cut some stabilizing 2×4’s to fit in the space temporarily and go slow. Rope would be positioned and pulled from abdomen side and not from back. Perhaps a girth hitch with Webbing so it didn’t slip around him and come off. Couldn’t be around legs because you would need to manipulate and have him bend at the waist. No legs broken. He slipped in there…. he can come out…..not easy, but what if??? RIP
Hi Brandon!
Since learning about this I found very conflicting marks to where Jones got stuck. Since I’m no cave diver I had a really hard time understanding your drawings and relating them to the map but I think I have figured it out. On the 2003 map Jon is basically sideways in the gray area, correct? I uploaded a image where I highlighted the portion that I think you drew in your “Plan View” and took a guess where Jones is. Maybe you can take a look at it and confirm or correct it: https://postimg.cc/fkfkwxDF
If not maybe you could mark it on the map.
Other than that: Have you ever thought about making a youtube video on the topic? Clarifiying fake news etc and maybe adding safety guidelines for caving etc?
Best regards.
Brandon, thank you for your time. Your answers are very thorough and shed a lot of light on the physical situation. John suffered a very unique death and I can’t help but wonder about his experience. I imagine it was terrifying and painful. Realizing you didn’t see him when he was conscious, how much of the 27 hours do you think he was aware of? It seems a hellish end to me. Did other rescuers share their interactions with him?
I find your ability to compartmentalize and move on to be very impressive. I wonder if there’s a relation to your previous comment about how, during caving, you learned to let go of fear and relax. It sounds like excellent emotional control that comes in handy when faced with severe difficulty.
Thanks again!
Hi Brandon,
Thanks for your detailed account! Like many others I was gripped by this sad story. From all the information I gathered this was the most likely route: https://yourimageshare.com/ib/URkfYOUPaV.png
Is this actually true? I guess this is the deepest section of the cave.
Best of luck!
hi,brandon
1- Before you declared John dead, Dave Shurtz got down to John’s belly level. He told him to pull his stomach in. To wrap a rope around his waist. But John couldn’t react. It took Dave Shurtz 15 minutes to crawl from there. When you first reached him, why did he get down to John’s belly level did not get off?
2- Can you draw the place where John is stuck, as you drew above. From your perspective as you enter there with your head down. In other words, around the place where John’s feet are visible.
3-They say it looked like someone was pulling down from where John was stuck. Is this true?
4- Is the area below where John was stuck closed or is there still an opening? Is John’s body still in the same place or has he fallen down?
5- Did John fall into the deep end because he fainted? Why did John say to the rescuers, “You put me in a narrow place?” Why did John enter the narrower side of the crack?
6-Who were the people who reached John? Rob Stillmar, Suzie Motola, Andy Armstrong. Who were the others? A total of 6 people were able to get into the place where John was stuck. Is this true?
7- John had to stay in the vertical position for at least how many hours before he was rescued. When he moved from the vertical position to the horizontal position, how many hours did he have to be rescued so that he wouldn’t die of blood poisoning?
8- If John had wanted to be saved while he was alive, how would he have been saved? The rocks do not break. So, if John had been alive, how would you have saved him?
9- Would it be useful to save John’s body by wrapping it in a tear-proof plastic bag? The plastic bag would shrink his body. For example, when the baby is born from the mother, the baby’s body is inside the balloon.To prevent the baby’s body from being damaged while being born, the baby is placed in something like a balloon. Does this tactic work?
10-The rescuers were very stressed and nervous. The scary and ominous situation of the cave. Could this help save John?
11-Why did John make such a mistake and it surprises me that he could not be saved in a country like the USA
12-Can you add me on Facebook?
this happened years ago but I hurt for John. It break my heart when he told you that he’s seeing demons and angels. so tragic. so unfortunate. oh wow. I cry for John, and ive never even met him. what possessed him to do that? did he slip down there like that or did he crawl his way downward kike that? my heart hurts for John.
thank you for these details.
Hi Brandon,
Quite a few statements say that John went head first as he initially had to go up and then the route goes down but the map and your drawings show that you seem to drop down into that particular passage first? I’ve seen it mentioned that it was waist height but again, the maps look contrary to this. Could you shed a little light on what Ed’s push was like and how you entered the final passage, please? Thanks, Dave.
You and all the rescuers that were with you are true heros. I live in KY, very close to cave city. this was the incident that has always made me afraid of caves. I never could wrap my head around why anyone would push themselves into such a tight space. I remember hearing about this when I was In high school and we actually took a trip to Mammoth cave here in my state. it was mentioned during the tour. Recently I have been seeing it again in social media…… Let me tell you, it makes me just as sick to my stomach now as it did back then. It gives me anxiety and a sense of panic for this young man.
After seeing it all over social media again, I figured I would do my own digging into what happened. To see the face of the man that went through that tragedy.
I have read every single comment and still have one question for you……I read that he survived some 27+ hours in the position he was in, however rescue attempts were started at 10am ‘ish’ and then around 1130pm-midnight he was pronounced dead. that’s only a total of 12-13 hours. Unless I’m not reading something right. What time is it suspected that John actually got stuck? Did it take another 11-12 hours to realize he was missing and stuck?
If someone want to read more about this tragedy check this site: https://nuttyputtytragedy.blogspot.com
There is a mine of informations about this case.
Thank you for enlightening us on what you think folks who are going into caves should know at the very least and for sharing what had to be an enormous sadness that nothing you could do would get John out.
I think some people who have experienced caving in the big commercial caves such as Carlsbad or Mammoth or Luray may have the misguided impression that “they can do this” in any cave.
I grew up going to the big ones and a few smaller ones but in no fashion would it ever cross my mind to just go exploring in a largely unknown cave.
Thanks for what you do in rescue and sharing your knowledge.