John Edward Jones, a 26-year-old medical student and father of one, is remembered for suffering what many call the worst death ever, after becoming trapped in a cave passage just 10 inches high and 18 inches wide in November 2009.
Jones, his brother, and several friends were exploring Utah’s Nutty Putty Cave—something Jones loved doing—when he accidentally entered an unmapped, extremely narrow passage that left him wedged so tightly he couldn’t move or pull himself free. His brother managed to exit the cave and call for help, triggering a rescue operation that continued for more than 27 hours.
Rescue teams worked tirelessly in shifts, trying everything to pull Jones out of the tight, vertical space. But as time passed, his condition steadily worsened. Being stuck upside down caused blood to rush toward his head, placing enormous pressure on his heart.
“Seeing his feet and seeing how swallowed he was by the rock, that’s when I knew it was serious,” Josh told The Salt Lake Tribune. “It was really serious.”
At one point, Josh was able to lift his brother about an inch, but as soon as he let go, Jones slid right back down into the tiny passage.
Brandon Kowallis, a close friend, later explained that Jones drifted in and out of consciousness. During the rescue, responders lowered a radio so he could speak with his family—who comforted him, prayed for him, and told him everything would be okay.
“I think it was his father, mother, and wife who spoke to him,” Kowallis recalled. “They told him they loved him and were praying for him. His father gave him a blessing. His wife mentioned a feeling of peace, that everything would be OK.”
Rescuers then attempted to pull him out by tying ropes to his legs. One of them asked him how he was doing, and Jones answered:
“It sucks. I’m upside down. I can’t believe I’m upside down. My legs are killing me.”
But suddenly, the rope system failed—sending rescuers flying backward and pushing Jones deeper into the passage. After more than 25 hours trapped, he became unresponsive as his body began shutting down.
According to Kowallis, the scene was “very bleak,” and hope was fading quickly. “It looked like he could only be lifted another foot or two in his current position,” he said, via LadBible. “His feet would hit the ceiling, with no room to manoeuvre.”
Eventually, Jones went into cardiac arrest and suffocated. His body was never removed—it was deemed too dangerous. Instead, officials sealed the tunnel with explosives, turning Nutty Putty Cave into his final resting place.
Today, a memorial plaque remains at the cave entrance as a lasting tribute to the tragedy.
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