First responder describes final moments of man who died in ‘most horrifying way imaginable’

On 25 November 2009, medical student John Jones decided to explore a popular landmark called Nutty Putty Cave with some friends and his brother, but tragically, he would never make it out alive.

Now, a first responder has opened up about the 26-year-old's harrowing final moments.

First discovered in 1960 by Dale Green, Nutty Putty Cave is a hydrothermal cave located in Utah, US, which rose to infamy among adrenaline junkies for its challenging and narrow passageways.

The cave attracted a staggering 5,000 visitors a year, keen to take on the challenge of navigating its tricky and slippery terrain. But in 2009, it was sealed forever after the tragic death of 26-year-old John Jones.

Jones experienced 27 hours of 'hell' after becoming trapped inside the cave, in what many have described as being 'one of the most horrifying' ways to die.

John was just 26 when he died (Family handout)

A wrong turn

After entering the cave alongside his brother and some of his friends, the group decided to explore a part of the cave known as the ‘Big Slide’ before heading to a passageway called 'The Birth Canal', which had a turnaround at the bottom.

While extremely tight, it was navigable - but tragically, Jones accidentally went the wrong way and wandered into an unmapped part of the cave under the false impression that he was in the turnaround.

John became trapped headfirst in the dead-end crevice, which measured just 10 by 18 inches.

It was John's brother Josh who noticed he was in danger and quickly surfaced to try and get some help, but the wrong turn marked the start of a horrific chain of events that ultimately led to John's death.

For 27 hours, rescuers did all they could to try and free John from the rocks, but their efforts came to no avail, and he passed away from a cardiac arrest due to the pressure of being stuck for so long.

Now, a first responder who witnessed John's final moments has opened up about the terrifying ordeal.

John was trapped for 27 hours (Family handout)

John Jones' harrowing final moments

In a blog post, explorer and YouTuber Brandon Kowallis claimed that when he arrived on scene, John was already in and out of consciousness and had begun hallucinating 'angels and demons' around him.

"As I wormed my way in, I felt my feet touch something soft, which ended up being John’s feet. I felt them move and immediately lifted my feet and worked my way horizontally into the crack," he recalled.

"After stabilising myself by jamming my body into a narrower section of the crack, I began speaking to John, asking him how he was and introducing myself. There was no response."

After attempting once again to get a response from John, Brandon said he began to hear 'a deep, gurgling breath', which he believes was due to John's lungs filling with fluid.

John had also begun kicking 'frantically' in a desperate last-ditch attempt to free himself.

It was starting to dawn on Brandon that a rescue mission was going to be impossible, and it would take days to chip away at the rocks to get him out.

"There was a request to take the radio down to John so that his family could say some words to him. I think it was his father, mother, and wife who spoke to him, telling him that they loved him and were praying for him and that his father had given him a blessing. His wife mentioned a feeling of peace, that everything would be OK," he said.

"She talked to him about 5 to 10 minutes before I told her that we needed to get back to working at getting him out."

But not long after, Brandon was asked to check John's vitals, and he made a tragic discovery.

The cave has since been sealed off (Family Handout)

"I didn’t hear a distinct heartbeat, only some ruffling, fluttering sounds that were probably a result of me shaking as I tried to steady myself in an awkward location. I then jammed my hand between the rock and pressed as far up his torso I could go to feel for breathing. I didn’t think I felt anything.

"I reported my findings to the paramedic above and then crawled out so that he could see if he could squeeze in.

"He was able to get down to the point where he could feel his feet and confirm he had passed away. John Edward Jones was pronounced dead at 11.52."

What happened to John Jones' body?

Sadly, officials felt it would be too dangerous to attempt to recover John's body from the cave, so the decision was made for him to remain inside and have the entrance sealed off from the public.

Now, those who visit the site will find a memorial for John, as well as a plaque to honour his memory for his family. The entrance to the cave was collapsed using controlled explosive devices to prevent anyone else from meeting the same tragic fate.

John's harrowing story has since been adapted into a biographical drama film called The Last Descent, which was released in 2016.