Epilogue captions state that the cave's entrance has since been sealed, with John's body still inside, and provides a thank you to the rescuers from the family. She couldnt hear her group. The first goal of the rescue teamwas to get John into a situation that would minimize strain onhis heart and lungs. They are picked up by John's brother Josh, who tells him that the Nutty Putty Cave has been opened after having been closed before. Youre going to be out of here lickety split.. It had only reopened under an online reservation system managed by a local caving organization in early 2009. What Stephen Hawking Thinks Threatens Humankind The Most, 27 Raw Images Of When Punk Ruled New York, Join The All That's Interesting Weekly Dispatch. Landon Henneman as Aaron, a veteran rescue worker who is distraught over past rescues that have ended tragically. I didnt want to leave him, he said. Im so sorry. But maybe it's more than that. The rescue team weren't even able to reach his body, so the cave was closed down and sealed off around Jones' body and turned into a memorial for the father. However, as John is starting to get pulled out, one of the drills come undone, making dirt explode in all directions, and resulting in John falling back in the hole. Tell Lizzie I love her! They never recovered his body, which remains inside to this day, for fear of more deaths that might result from such an operation. At 11:56 p.m. on the night before Thanksgiving, the search and rescue team determined Jones had died. They strung the line 400 feet from the entrance to Johns tunnel, then gave a speaker to Ryan. Nutty Putty Cave accident victim's widow: 'I know there is life after Jones descended into the Nutty Putty cave with his brothers and friends in 2009 around Thanksgiving time, never to see his friends or family again. Johns body inched up, but he had nothing to hold onto and slipped back into the crevice as soon as Josh released him. The bereaved wife since went on to remarry, and has had two more children with her new husband. John falls asleep and has a vision of his daughter in a field, but with an older man wearing grey clothing, whom he has seen before in hallucinations, after which he wakes up and suffers a panic attack. It comprises many rooms connected by small tunnels and narrow corridors. Hot rising water formed the ancient fissure, and the still-humid air is slowly but constantly degrading the rock. He drilled a second hole and pushed the pulley in. (Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune) The entrance to the Nutty Putty cave on Friday, November 27, 2009. The water flowed down his arm, and Susie hoped some of it might reach his mouth. They initially created the pulley system using climbing cams, but the anchors couldnt get a strong grip in the layer of powdery calcite that coated the caves walls. I wasnt, she said. Motola introduced herself to John, even though all she could see of him was a pair of navy and black running shoes. When morning came on Nov. 25, 2009, Emily couldnt wait any more. He looked fine. And I think that would be the worst-case scenario but best-case scenario would be that people come away from this movie remembering what they felt when they first heard about the story, remembering how much they wanted to treasure their loved ones and to put everything they had into their relationships and into making the most of this time that we have together. A medical student with awife and 2-year-old daughter, Jones was exploring the cave when he suddenly found himself stuck in an almost unreachable crevice 150 feet underground, hanging upside down. The rescuers came to a horrible realization: The angle of the tunnel meant they couldnt bend Johns body backward without likely breaking his legs. One of those images showed the opening of Nutty Putty Cave. Rescuers believe that John initially tried to wiggle himself free, but only wedged himself further into the space. I dont want to be on my head, John told Ryan when he arrived. Its never been hard to talk about John, she said. The smaller equipment was too slow: When they tried to widen the rocky corkscrew to prepare for Johns exit, it took an hour and a half to drill through just 6 inches of rock. But he wasnt bleeding, and his eyes were a bright, vibrant brown. "You may not agree with her choices but you dont pay her bills feed her kids or now her grass john loved her and she loved him. The rope-and-pulley operation was no more, the rescuers had no other viable plans, and John was trapped. [1] It is based on the 2009 rescue attempt of John Edward Jones in Nutty Putty Cave, west of Utah Lake. The entire system starts to fail.". On November 25, John Edward Jones died inside Nutty Putty Cave. John Edward Jones, stuck and died in the Nutty Putty Cave After those rescues in 2004, the Nutty Putty Cave was closed to the public. Officials will be closing Nutty Putty Cave, a popular spelunking site in which the 26-year-old medical student became trapped and died. Each trip into the tunnel to pass a piece of gear took nearly an hour. He screamed. It worked to get Jones past the fishhook of the rock lip, causing some relief on the afternoon of Nov. 25. I knew I couldnt do anything to help, but I really wanted to give him a hug when he got out, Emily said. No, it ended shortly after the crack where John was stuck. I love you! Ryan yelled for the teams to lower him, to give him a rest. "He just knows that the kids need to remember their dad so hes good about wanting to stay in touch with the Joneses and he loves the Joneses.". When rescuers told trauma physician Doug Murdock that John was nearly upside down, he knew the trapped man didnt have much time. To make that phone call on Thanksgiving morning to a family that is hopeful you will be bringing their son out and theyll get some closure, it wasnt an easy phone call to make, he said. The cave was named Nutty Putty because of the large . Although the 26-year-old father of one hadn't been to this particular cave, he was confident in his abilities . Relationships go on after this life.". A man had died alone, in a dark hole. Knowing help was on the way steeled Josh for another trip down the tunnel to take the friends place. Above John, Susie s slight, 5-foot-3-inch frame was also encased. Ever since the very beginning, ever since I first met Donovan, hes been really comfortable with John continuing to be a part of our family and our lives, especially because of our kids. All Rights Reserved, Nutty Putty Cave accident victims widow: I know there is life after death, John Jones died in a cave, but his widow emerged from the darkness, The Last Descent tells the emotional story of John Jones 7 years after Nutty Putty Cave death, Man trapped in Utah Countys Nutty Putty cave dies. I need your help, I need you to make sure you are pushing with your hands. It may be surprising to many that Jones' family has decided to share these final, tragic moments of his life with the world, but his wife, Emily, says she decided to share his story to show people the kind of man he was as well as to share the message that there is hope of seeing those we love again. The back side of the postcard, which was also scanned, included a note in Josh Powells handwriting that read Nutty Putty Caves in Eureka (south of Spanish Fork). The rope moved. AND POSTING ABOUT YOU," one user wrote on a post Emily shared on 6 March, 2020. However, despite it being over 10 years since John passed away, the mother has faced continuous online abuse on her Facebook page. Back in 2004, two Boy Scouts had nearly lost their lives in separate incidents in the same area of Nutty Putty Cave where John became trapped. In a new bonus episode, the "Cold" podcast investigated that theory to determine if it was plausible. Josh tried to pull at his brothers calves to no avail. His wife, Emily Jones Sanchez, and their two children were left behind. I can say that I know for sure, without a doubt, I know there is life after death, Jones-Sanchez said. "I think when people come away from this movie they will have a greater desire to love people, to love their family, to love better, to be kinder, to be a better person, and to cherish every minute they have with their loved ones," Emily says. If the friction was still too great, theyd add another pulley. John oscillated between calm, coherent conversation to helplessly thrashing his legs in sheer panic. Volunteers from two cave exploration organizations andpersonnel from 10neighboring fire departments worked to free John, with more than 130 people on the scene in total. His older brother was helpless in a dark hole. Well get John out. The trapped man had slid back into the hole and landed on his head again, but didnt seem worse than before. It worked temporarily, and after his head raised slightlyvia the ropes and pulleys, rescuers were able to give him anIV,food, and water; they were hopefulthe worst was over,asthey considered their next move. Then John fell silent, and his breathing slowed. His father frequently took him and his brother, Josh, on caving expeditions in Utah when they were kids. Rescuers believe John sucked in his chest to investigate the fissure, sliding his torso over a lip of rock and down into the 10-inch-wide side of the crevice. RIP JOHN IF I WAS YOUR WIFE I WOULD HAVE NEVER MOVED ON SOO SOON AND WOULD BE SHARING YOUR STORY AND LIFE. All John and Josh, both devout Mormons, could do at this point was pray. The two devoutly Mormon brothers prayed together. [4][5], "Utah filmmaker's 'The Last Descent' retells Nutty Putty cave tragedy", "Powerful 'The Last Descent' searches for hope in the 2009 Nutty Putty Cave tragedy", "Movie review: 'Last Descent' tells story behind a Utah tragedy", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Last_Descent&oldid=1149160162. She couldnt fully extend her arms and legs, but she was confident. Read Part 2 here. He calls for Aaron and Susie and finds the pulley ropes. 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John Jones and his fellow spelunkers, including his brother Josh,had experience with caving, though this was John's first time at Nutty Putty. But then John slid down into the passage even further, becoming trapped worse than before. He was actually beyond that in an unnamed, really unexplored part of the cave.. He thanks you for reading his content. They both sing "Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing" in Spanish. Unfortunately, John's position made it challenging forlarge equipment toget near him. He would never see daylight again after stepping foot inside the cave. Read Part 1 here. On 24 November, 2009, John Edward Jones tragically passed away while exploring a hydrothermal cave in Utah known as 'Nutty Putty cave'. Another comment reads: "Is that John on ur profile picture? deductible, Report a missed paper by emailingsubscribe@sltrib.comor calling801-237-2900, For e-edition questions or comments, contact customer support801-237-2900or emailsubscribe@sltrib.com. But when he reached the narrow crevice trapping 26-year-old John Jones in Utah County's Nutty Putty Cave, he had to fight back tears. Many of the passages in this cave are this narrow or even narrower. In the weeks after John died, Susie couldnt forget the time she spent trying to save his life. William DeLong is a freelance wordsmith. After about 20 minutes, Ryan raised his voice to yell. Among the smallest of the dedicated band of search-and-rescue volunteers in rugged Utah County, Susie couldnt carry the biggest packs and she got cold faster. After about two hours, Susie had tried everything she knew and crawled out for rest while another rescuer took her place. At age 26, John was in the prime of his life. "Ever since the very beginning, ever since I first met Donovan, hes been really comfortable with John continuing to be a part of our family and our lives, especially because of our kids. John had been exploring the cave with his brother but got stuck in a narrow tunnel. John, Im bleeding, Ive got to get out, but its OK. Everythings OK. The "equipment failure" was supposedly the result of a lack of rock integrity. He could watch his babys birth, his daughter grow up. John Jones Jones, 26, had grown up in Utah but was attending medical school at the University of Virginia in 2009 when he returned home with his pregnant wife and 14-month-old daughter for. The progress didn't last long. John was at the Nutty Putty cave with his . 'Cold': Theory of Susan Powell in Nutty Putty Cave debunked But rescuers finally had the power to pull him out. We were rushing against the clock, and we were actually talking with him, said state Sen. John Valentine, a search-and-rescue volunteer, who said it was the toughest rescue he has seen since he joined the team in 1980. They told us that John got stuck about 8:45 p.m. We got the notification sometime I believe just before 9:30, Cannon said. She stretched a water bottle down to his right arm, the one forced backward, so he could tip the bottle forward. Emily wanted to serve a church mission and had been called to Madagascar. The cave is famous among the locals and is considered a good cave to explore for new spelunkers. But when he reached the narrow crevice trapping 26-year-old John Jones in Utah Countys Nutty Putty Cave, he had to fight back tears. With Christian Slater, Amanda Peet, Rachel Keller, Michael Rispoli. His circulation would be slowing, capillaries leaking, toxins building up in his blood. With no hope of rescue and his heart having suffered hours upon hours of strain due to his downward position, John was pronounced dead of cardiac arrest shortly before midnight on the evening of November 25, 2009. On Dec. 1, 2009 the countys bomb squad entered Nutty Putty to place explosive charges around the opening of the passageway in which Jones remained trapped. The next day, on Dec. 2, 2009, contractors poured concrete into the main opening of the cave. And while time has passed and they lead a happy life together, Emily and Donovan have also retained Johns memory. What's behind shortages of Adderall, Ozempic and other meds? Emily would have no cemetery to take her children to. The brothers made small talk to take their minds out of the cave. As he talks to the baby, he realizes the baby is his soon to be born son. The plan was, rescuers thought, their last, best hope: John was beginning to lose touch with reality in the darkness. He manages to alert Josh to his location, who then tries to pull John out himself but is unsuccessful. Why did you guys put me here? John replied. In its heyday, as many as 25,000 people per year visited the cave. He was stuck for over 25 hours, and because of the pressure his body was under and the position he was in, sadly couldn't be safely rescued. He was already unconscious. She cut off his jeans to try to free up a few inches. On Nov. 26, he had to break his promise again. A medical student from the University of Virginia, John Edward Jones explored the Nutty Putty Cave in November 2009. Salt Lake County crews brought a telecom, a set of two radios that transmitted by way of a cable line. He notices that the injuries he sustained have disappeared. A record $3B, Utah soldier, 2 others, killed in Alaska helicopter crash, U. English classes help immigrants bridge the gap to career, education goals, Bride says her wedding dress held 'hostage' in billing dispute involving Bed Bath & Beyond. By subscribing, you acknowledge and agree to KSL.com's, Cold: US Marshal shares insider account of Susan Powell investigation, Top stories of 2009, No. Its never been hard to remember John. A tall, broad-shouldered man in his 50s with buzzed hair and a bristle-brush mustache introduced himself as one of the on-scene commanders. ", A third user added: "Just saw the movie of the story of John. Unfortunately, Nutty Putty becameJones's final resting place. John begins to talk to Aaron about his relationship with Emily. The two Boy Scouts had become trapped within a week of each other. When he saw a fissure that dropped nearly straight down in front of him, it may have appeared to widen out at the bottom, giving him a spot to turn around. Theyre both irrepressible outdoors lovers, and now Susie gets an invitation when Josh gathers a group to go camping, mountain biking or kayaking. But Hodgson, one of the onscene commanders, was focused on his earlier promise to the Jones family that rescuers would bring John out of the darkness. supports HTML5 video, Estimated read time: 5-6 As he finds his way back to the entrance, he finds it deserted and realizes he has died and is now a spirit in the afterlife. He wore a rainbow-colored, 1970s-style caving headlamp his father had bought for the family trips of his childhood. EUREKA, Juab County West Valley City police were just one week into their search for Susan Powell when they received their first tip suggesting her body might be entombed in Nutty Putty Cave. web browser that They risked their own lives. "JOHN WAS BETTER ! Kendrey Flake as Lizzie, John's young daughter. One user wrote: "I hope she does not read these comments and i hope none of u have to go through what she has in her life. Struggling to free himself only made John slide deeper into the narrower, 8 1/2-inch-wide side of the fissure. We weighed the pros and cons and we finally decided that if this movie could help people, if it could be a good thing, if people can learn to treasure their relationships and be reminded about how fragile life is, then maybe its worth it.. Im not going to come out of here, am I?, Is he OK? His calves were free but useless. Patty Jo Engels is known for Nude Nuns with Big Guns (2010), Nerve (2011) and Cold Stone (2012). As the hours passed, rescuers arrived from all over Utah. Was there a back entrance to the tunnel? Jon Jasper/jonjasper.com Explorer Kory Kowallis in the crawl to the aptly named Scout Trap passage in Nutty Putty Cave. Nutty Putty Cave - Wikipedia John picked a waist-high hole to explore. John Edward Jones always loved spelunking with this family. But she couldnt imagine anything good coming from Johns death. Hi Susie, thanks for coming, John said, but I really, really want to get out.. It sucks; Im upside down. Formerly popular with cavers and known for its narrow passageways, Nutty Putty has been closed to the public since 2009 following a fatal accident that year. They succeeded in rigging a rope and pulley system to help lift him past the obstacle. She joked that she would have a story to tell his wife and asked if hed like to get some pancakes when they got him out. sltrib.com 1996-2023 The Salt Lake Tribune. PROVO, Utah - For many people, the images of rescuers and ropes standing above a small hole in the ground is what they remember of Nutty Putty Cave. "Its never been hard to remember John," she said. The cave would be his final resting place. While he waited for a drill to make a new pulley hole, Dave tried to wrap a rope around Johns waist. Ill get out, and Ill come see you!. They couldnt put the rescuers in any more danger. Emily Jones-Sanchez is photographed with her husband, Donovan, and children, Lizzie, John and Emerson. Heres a look at three of them that have inspired me recently. Life goes on. "Nutty Putty Cave and John Jones Incident"But what happened to a keen young explorer deep in the bowels of Utah's famous cave system must surely take the cak. Over the next 24 hours, more than 100 rescue personnel worked feverishly to free John Edward Jones from the depths of Nutty Putty Cave. She arrived at approximately 12:30am - John had been trapped for about 3.5 hours. I know because Ive been able to talk to him since he died, and Ive had several experiences where the veil has been thin, and Ive had these sacred moments where I dont understand everything and my faith is not perfect, but I know hes out there, and I know theres life after death, and I know our family will be together again so that perspective pretty much changes everything. The search-and-rescue team volunteer sweated in 70-degree heat and stifling humidity, her clothes covered in soft brown clay. Ive often thought that John is busy doing important things and growing in important ways and living a great life so I need to continue living my life, too. John's position in the cave was problematic from the outset. Nutty Putty Cave is a naturally-formed thermal cave located on the west side of Utah Lake, 55 miles from Salt Lake City in Utah. At first, they reacted with horror. John yelled, and Ryan could hear he was crying. I used to be so afraid of tight, enclosed spaces and the dark, she said. Horrifying death of man who made grave error in dangerous cave dubbed Fighting a black depression, he crawled back out of the hole, stopping every few minutes so he wouldnt vomit. He has been involved in past rescues that have ended tragically, and he vows to not leave without rescuing John. Leon Jones worked his way out, but the story entered the pantheon of family lore. There are very few studies about the long-term effects of being upside down, but Murdock thought John might have eight to 10 hours to live. Aaron climbs down and finds John, whose condition is starting to deteriorate. Now. For 28 hours, rescuers tried frantically to free him, but to no avail. Some considered Nutty Putty a "beginner's cave,"but it had several narrow spaces where people had previously gotten stuck. Housewife Betty thinks she can't be divorced by her rich lawyer husband Dan without her consent. To make sure you never miss out on your favourite NEW stories, we're happy to send you some reminders, Click 'OK' then 'Allow' to enable notifications, .css-o3g03s{color:black;}Published16:30,03 November 2022 GMT.css-1aaqh7x{color:#666666;}@media (min-width:1024px){.css-1aaqh7x{color:#666666;}}| Last updated16:51,03 November 2022 GMT. John makes a decision to split up and explore an un-mapped route. While wriggling forward through one particularly tight passageway in a far reach of the cave, Jones became stuck. Nutty Putty Cave And The Death Of John Jones - Mysterious Facts Hed crawled through the tunnel and seen John swallowed by the rock. tried to put the pulley in and found the hole was too small. But he knew what the cave could do. He was married, had a one-year-old daughter, and was attending medical school in Virginia. It would be so much easier for you guys to get me out of here if I wasnt so fat.. In one of the cases, rescue crews took 14 hours to free a 16-year-old Scout who weighed 140 pounds and was 57 tall, making him much smaller than John using a complex series of pulleys. Their second child was due in June. He found what he thought was the Birth Canal and inched his way into the narrow passage head first, moving forward using his hips, stomach, and fingers. John Edward Jones entered Nutty Putty Cave at around 8 p.m. local time on the evening of Nov. 24, 2009, a few days before Thanksgiving. John Edward Jones: He never came back from Utah's Nutty Putty cave! But John hadnt moved, spoken or breathed for hours. John Edward Jones, the man who died inside Nutty Putty Cave in 2009. He approached Emily. He served a mission for The. "Ever since the very beginning, ever since I first met Donovan, hes been really comfortable with John continuing to be a part of our family and our lives, especially because of our kids. Emily approves because of John's enthusiasm and he and Josh go to explore the cave. only for your personal, non-commercial use. But no one will ever go in the cave again. He. And some people even said, Weve been considering divorce and after hearing about your loss and everything youve been through, its really just put life in perspective for us and weve recommitted to loving each other better and to our marriage and to our family. And I think tragedy does often put life into perspective for us., It is the opportunity to share this perspective that motivated Jones-Sanchez and her late husbands family, despite their initial hesitance, to allow his story to be told in a film that will open in theaters this weekend titled, The Last Descent.".