John Edward Jones was an experienced caver (Image: Jones Family Handout)
The rescuer who bore witness to the final moments of a young expectant father trapped in a narrow cave has revealed the devastating last thing the soon-to-be dad saw before he lost his life.
Nutty Putty Cave in Utah had long been a magnet for thrill-seekers and underground explorers, drawing visitors from across the country eager to navigate its labyrinth of winding, treacherous tunnels and clay-lined caverns.
First charted in the 1960s, the cave earned a reputation for its claustrophobic conditions, attracting thousands of visitors annually. Yet this allure came with a heavy cost.
In 2008, several cavers became ensnared within its tight passages, and while everyone was eventually brought to safety, authorities opted to temporarily seal off the entrance due to safety concerns.
Despite efforts to restrict entry, the cave was reopened in May 2009 under a new permit system, and just months later, disaster struck, reports the Daily Record.
John Edward Jones was just 26 when he died (Image: Jones Family Handout)
That November, 26-year-old medical student and father-to-be John Edward Jones ventured into the cave with friends and family members during the Thanksgiving holiday.
An accomplished caver, he was searching for a narrow section known as the “Birth Canal.”
However, deep within the cave’s complex network, John mistakenly entered a deceptively similar yet unmapped opening near a location called Ed’s Push.
Convinced the drop ahead was the turning point, he squeezed in head-first. The gap measured just 10 by 18 inches. Once he had squeezed through, John was horrified to find he could neither turn around, back out, nor even move his body.
He was completely trapped in a pitch-black crevice more than 400 feet beneath the surface.
The horrifying position he was trapped in (Image: FatalBreakdown on youtube)
The alarm was swiftly raised, and scores of rescuers made their way deep into the cave.
They worked tirelessly for hours, constructing an elaborate rope-and-pulley system to gradually haul him upwards.
At one point, they made some progress, but at the critical moment the equipment gave way, sending John sliding back into the rock face.
Despite his own dire situation, John was reportedly far more concerned about a volunteer who had been hurt during the rescue attempt.
“Is he OK? I think he’s really hurt bad,” he is reported to have asked.
By the time cave explorer Brandon Kowallis arrived at the scene, John had been wedged in position for several hours.
Speaking to the Daily Mail, Kowallis recalled hearing a series of gurgling breaths, which he believed was fluid filling John’s lungs, and witnessing his legs twitching uncontrollably as his condition deteriorated.
“He was in and out of consciousness and talking about seeing angels and demons,” he said.
Three hours into his ordeal, John was met by Susie, another volunteer attempting to free him.
Brandon Kowallis was one of the rescuers (Image: YouTube/ @brandonkowallis3343)
He appeared relieved to see her and reportedly said: “Hi Susie, thanks for coming but I really, really want to get out,” according to The Salt Lake Tribune. Yet as the full reality of his situation began to dawn on him, terror gripped him.
“I’m going to die right here. I’m not going to come out of here, am I?” he asked, overwhelmed with despair.
A radio was lowered down to enable his family to communicate with him. Shortly afterwards, a paramedic managed to reach him and tragically pronounced him dead at 11:52pm.
Recovering his body was considered far too dangerous, resulting in the cave being sealed with concrete and permanently closed.
