A Thanksgiving adventure that turned into Utah’s most haunting cave tragedy
What started as a family bonding adventure on Thanksgiving weekend 2009 ended in one of the most chilling cave disasters in American history. The story of John Edward Jones and Nutty Putty Cave serves as a stark reminder of how quickly exploration can turn deadly.
A Family Tradition Gone Wrong
Twenty-six-year-old John Jones was no stranger to adventure. The medical student and father had explored Nutty Putty Cave before, making it a cherished family tradition. On November 24, 2009, he arrived at the cave system—located about 55 miles southwest of Salt Lake City—with his brother Josh and several family members for what should have been a routine spelunking expedition.
The cave had recently reopened to the public after being closed due to safety concerns, but its reputation for narrow, winding passages remained unchanged. What the Jones family didn’t know was that this Thanksgiving adventure would end in unimaginable tragedy.
The Fatal Wrong Turn
Deep within the cave’s labyrinthine passages, John made a decision that would seal his fate. Believing he was entering a familiar route known as the « Birth Canal, » he instead crawled headfirst into an unmapped passage—a deadly mistake that would trap him 400 feet from the cave entrance.
The space was horrifyingly tight: just 10 inches wide and 18 inches high. John found himself wedged upside down in a vertical crevice, with no room to turn around or back out. His body was positioned at a steep downward angle, with gravity working against any rescue attempts.
27 Hours of Desperate Hope
What followed was one of the most intensive cave rescue operations in Utah’s history. For over 27 hours, rescue teams worked around the clock in the cramped, dangerous conditions. They deployed complex rope-and-pulley systems, trying every technique in their arsenal to free the trapped man.
At one heart-stopping moment, rescuers managed to move John slightly upward—a glimmer of hope that maybe, just maybe, they could save him. But the makeshift pulley system failed under the immense strain, and John slipped back deeper into the crevice. The cruel irony was that this brief moment of progress may have been his last chance at survival.
The Unthinkable Decision
As hours turned into more than a day, John’s condition deteriorated rapidly. Being trapped upside down for so long put enormous strain on his cardiovascular system. Despite the heroic efforts of dozens of rescuers risking their own lives, John Edward Jones succumbed to cardiac arrest on November 25, 2009.
Faced with the devastating reality, authorities and John’s family made an unprecedented decision. The risks of retrieving his body were too great—more lives could be lost in the attempt. Instead, they chose to seal the cave permanently, turning it into John’s final resting place.
A Cave Becomes a Tomb
Nutty Putty Cave was permanently closed using explosives and concrete, ensuring no one else would ever enter its treacherous passages. The limestone cavern that had once been a popular destination for adventure seekers became a sealed tomb—a somber memorial to a young man whose life was cut tragically short.
Legacy of Caution
John’s story was later immortalized in the 2016 film « The Last Descent, » bringing his tragic tale to a wider audience. His death sparked important conversations about cave safety, proper equipment, and the inherent risks of spelunking in unmapped or dangerous passages.
The tragedy serves as a haunting reminder that even experienced cavers can find themselves in life-threatening situations within seconds. John Edward Jones entered Nutty Putty Cave as an adventurous young father and medical student with his whole life ahead of him. He never emerged, becoming forever part of the cave system that claimed his life.
Today, the sealed entrance stands as a silent monument to both the allure and the deadly potential of underground exploration—a chilling reminder that some adventures can lead to places from which there is no return.
