Copyright dailyrecord
A heartfelt tribute has been made at the site where a 26-year -old man tragically lost his life over 15 years ago in one of the most horrifying circumstances imaginable. John Edward Jones met his untimely end in 2009 when he became trapped in the infamous Nutty Putty Cave, located approximately 55 miles from Salt Lake City in Utah. At the time of his tragic demise, he was a medical student and an enthusiastic explorer, eager to discover new caves with his brother Josh and other family members. Tragically, it was during a family outing, just days before they were due to celebrate Thanksgiving together, that John found himself stuck in a narrow tunnel within the cave. This section of the cave is chillingly referred to as the 'birth canal', a name that takes on a horrific resonance considering the events that unfolded for John hours later. He had set out to explore a tight passageway that supposedly had a turnaround point at the end, but he took a wrong turn. This area of the cave was unmapped, and for a tall man of six feet, it was not an easy space to manoeuvre out of. Despite exerting all his strength through his hips, stomach and fingers, the 26-year-old soon found himself wedged upside down in the passage. The L-shaped tunnel that held him captive was a staggering 400 feet from the cave's entrance and measured a claustrophobic 10 inches by 18 inches, reports the Mirror . With every breath he took, he became increasingly trapped in this exceptionally narrow space and, despite his brothers' desperate attempts, they couldn't extract him. Over the following 24 hours, more than 100 rescue workers laboured relentlessly to try and liberate John. Tragically, John never escaped the cave and returned to safety, dying after suffering cardiac arrest at the close of November 25, 2009. He remained trapped for 27 hours before losing his life, and since that day, the cave has remained untouched and is now completely sealed to prevent any further fatalities. Several years ago, two YouTubers known online as the Legacy Crawlers visited the location, revealing in their video a heartfelt tribute created by John's family. There, at what was formerly the cave entrance, stood a memorial featuring John's photograph, honouring his life and tragic passing. Speaking about her late husband in 2016, John's wife Emily told Deseret News: "I can say that I know for sure, without a doubt, I know there is life after death. I know John is still alive. "I know because I've been able to talk to him since he died, and I've had several experiences where the veil has been thin, and I've had these sacred moments where I don't understand everything and my faith is not perfect, but I know he's out there, and I know there's life after death."
