John Jones: Tragedy at Nutty Putty Cave

Nutty Putty Cave is a natural limestone cave located in Utah County, Utah, in the United States. It’s known for its intricate and challenging underground passages, and is accessed by a hole on top of a hill about seven miles west of State Road 68. While it’s not a large cave in terms of its overall size, it gained notoriety in the spelunking community due to its difficult and narrow passages. Spelunking refers to the exploration of caves, especially as a hobby, and for years, Nutty Putty Cave was a favourite, with around 5,000 visitors per year.

The cave was formed through the process of dissolution, where acidic groundwater gradually dissolved the limestone bedrock over the course of millions of years, creating a network of tunnels and chambers underground. One of the most notable features of Nutty Putty Cave is the “Birth Canal,” a particularly tight passage that challenges even experienced cavers. This narrow passage earned its name due to the contorted shape that resembles a birth canal. Navigating through it requires careful maneuvering and can be physically demanding.

On November 24, 2009, 26-year-old John Jones embarked on an expedition to Nutty Putty Cave with a group of 11 friends, including his brothers. Hailing from a large family deeply rooted in outdoor adventures, John had spent his formative years camping across Utah alongside his father, Leon, and his brothers. Raised in St. George, he had explored numerous caves in the area, honing his skills in navigating through tight spaces. Despite his expertise in cave exploration, John’s primary pursuit was in medicine; he was a medical student at the University of Virginia with aspirations of specializing in paediatric cardiology. Known for his remarkable ability to connect with children, John was well-suited for the role.¹

Before pursuing his medical career, John attended Dixie High School, where he excelled in basketball and served as the senior class president. It was during his time at Brigham Young University that he met his wife, Emily. They exchanged vows in 2006, and their family expanded with the arrival of their daughter, Lizzie, who was 14 months old at the time of the cave expedition. The couple had recently received the news of Emily’s pregnancy and were eagerly anticipating the birth of their second child the following June.

Around 8PM, John and the group arrived at Nutty Putty Cave. Although John had not previously explored this particular cave, his past experience and confidence in his abilities reassured him, despite not having spelunked for several years. Despite Nutty Putty Cave having been the site of rescues in the past, including incidents involving stranded Boy Scouts in 2009, these tales did little to dissuade John and his companions.

 As they navigated through the narrow passages of the cave, roughly an hour into their exploration, John expressed a desire to locate one of the tightest passages known as “The Birth Canal.” Despite already being approximately 700 feet into the cave and 150 feet below ground level, John, standing at six feet tall and weighing around 200 pounds, carefully maneuvered himself through the cave. Eventually, he found himself squeezing head-first into a passage measuring a mere 18 inches in width and 8 to 10 inches in height. Believing he had located The Birth Canal, John soon realized his error, that he had ventured in the wrong direction.

John found himself wedged upside down in a notorious section of the cave known as “Bob’s Push,” a tunnel even more restrictive than The Birth Canal.² Despite his hopes that the tight space would lead to a larger opening, he had inadvertently entered a dead-end section. His brother, Josh, recounted the harrowing moment: “He got to a point where he couldn’t back out. He got himself wedged into a vertical crevice upside down.”³

Josh, who was trailing closely behind John, quickly realized his brother’s predicament. Despite his efforts to pull John back up the crevice, every inch gained was lost as soon as he released his grip. Determined to seek help, Josh reassured John before leaving him in the company of another friend. Around 9:30PM, rescue workers were alerted and swiftly made their way to Nutty Putty Cave’s entrance, preparing to navigate to John’s location. Among the first responders was Susie Motola, who reached the opening of the tight crevice. Upon hearing her voice, John responded, “Hi Susie, thanks for coming but I really, really want to get out.”⁴

Approximately 100 rescue workers from agencies across the Wasatch Front were mobilised to assist in freeing John from the crevice. Given the critical nature of his predicament, time was of the essence. John’s inverted position posed significant risks to his circulation, potentially resulting in complications such as confusion, nausea, and unconsciousness due to a rush of blood to his head. Utah County Sheriff’s Sergeant Spencer Cannon addressed the public regarding the rescue operation, bluntly stating: “He’s just plain, flat stuck.”⁵

The rescue teams rapidly devised and attempted various strategies. Employing compressed air-powered tools, they endeavoured to break the rock surrounding John, yet the formidable material and his awkward position rendered this approach nearly futile. Because of the limited space, jackhammers couldn’t be used, and one rescuer who was working with a ball-peen hammer could only swing six inches to try and chip away at the rock.⁶

Next, they employed a rope and pulley system attached to John’s legs; however, the effectiveness of this method was hindered by John’s constrained position, as his feet obstructed straightforward extraction. Compounded by the confined dimensions of the crevice, only one rescue worker could be in proximity to John at any time, exacerbating the challenges of the rescue operation.

By 4PM the following day, rescue teams had successfully retracted John more than a dozen feet using ropes and pulleys, retracing his path backward. Despite the progress, John remained confined within the narrow space. Nonetheless, a moment of emotional relief occurred when John was able to communicate with his wife via the police radio. Recalling the exchange, his father, Leon Jones, remarked: “He was able to hear her. It really perked him up.”⁷

However, the challenging circumstances persisted as John’s feet and legs made contact with the ceiling of the small L-shaped crevice, preventing further extraction. Faced with this dilemma, the crew found themselves once again brainstorming solutions. In a desperate consideration, they even contemplated the possibility of breaking John’s legs to facilitate his removal from the crevice, but feared he would go into cardiac arrest. As they continued trying to think of ways to rescue John, his breathing was becoming weaker and weaker; his heart needed to work twice as hard against the gravity to push the continuous flow out of his brain.

As the rescue team attempted to pull John further from out of the crevice, the rope and pulley system suddenly gave way, plunging John deeper into the cave. John, struggling for breath, uttered in despair: “I’m going to die right here. I’m not going to come out of here, am I?” His words hung heavy in the air as silence suddenly engulfed him and the rescue crew, his breathing gradually slowing down. Exhaustion weighed heavily on him—from the ordeal of the rescue mission, the constricting confines of the crevice, and the disorienting sensation of being upside down, blood rushing to his head.⁸

Approximately 27 hours into the grueling rescue effort, John’s heart went into cardiac arrest. Shortly before midnight on November 25th, a paramedic pronounced him dead. In a statement released by his family, they commemorated John’s memory, affirming: “He will be remembered for his good nature, charming sense of humor, strong work ethic, genuine love for people, masterful ability to relate to children, and unwavering love and faith.”

John’s funeral took place on November 26th, where the family’s bishop, Dan Hunter, solemnly led the service. Reflecting on the harrowing circumstances of John’s final moments, Bishop Hunter addressed the mourners, acknowledging: “John’s last 24-some hours were spent trapped in a dark, tight crevice deep within Nutty Putty Cave. We know he fought with all he had to persevere and not lose hope.”

Tragically, John’s body remained unrecovered within Nutty Putty Cave, becoming his eternal resting place. Recognizing the complexity and danger involved in extraction, John’s family made the difficult decision not to pursue recovery efforts. Consequently, on November 28th, Nutty Putty Cave was sealed with John’s body still inside. As a tribute to John’s memory, his family installed a memorial plaque at the cave’s entrance. His brother, Josh, expressed: “It is a place to honor and respect our brother.”

1. The Salt Lake Tribune, 26 November, 2009 – “Man Who Dies in Cave had Robust Life”
2. Salt Lake City Examiner, 25 November, 2009 – “Man Trapped in Utah’s Nutty Putty Cave”
3. NPR, 25 November, 2009 – “Man Stuck in Utah Cave Dies”
4. The Salt Lake Tribune, 9 July, 2018 – “Nutty Putty: I Really, Really Want to Get Out”
5. Casper Star-Tribune, 26 November, 2009 – “Stuck Man Gets Assistance”
6. Daily Herald, 28 November, 2009 – “Nutty Putty Cave Will be Permanently Sealed with Body Inside”
7. The Salt Lake Tribune, 25 November, 2009 – “Cave Keeps Grim Grip on Stranded Explorer”
8. The Salt Lake Tribune, 10 July, 2018 – “Nutty Putty: We’re Going to Get You Out”