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Caver Trapped Upside Down Dies in Tight Passage
8 Feb
Summary
- A cave diver became stuck upside down in a narrow passage.
- Rescuers heard gurgling breaths and saw frantic kicking.
- The cave entrance was sealed, permanently entombing the diver.
In November 2009, 26-year-old medical student John Edward Jones died during an expedition in Utah's Nutty Putty Cave. While attempting to explore a tight vertical shaft, Jones accidentally entered an uncharted tunnel and became irretrievably stuck head-first in a narrow passage, only 10 inches wide.
His brother found him, but attempts to free him failed. Jones slipped further, becoming trapped with his arms pinned. Rescuers arrived, and the last person to see him alive heard him speaking of angels and demons. He was heard breathing with gurgling sounds, his body becoming rigid.
Rescuers attempted to chip away rock but found it futile. Paramedics confirmed Jones had died from cardiac arrest. The Nutty Putty Cave was declared a public health hazard and sealed, with concrete poured into the entrance, permanently entombing Jones.
He was survived by his wife, Emily, their baby daughter Lizzie, and a son born the following year, named in his father's honor.
