US3 min(s) read
Published 14:40 11 Aug 2026 GMT
The last words of cave explorer John Edward Jones have resurfaced, almost 17 years after his tragic death.
Back on November 24 2009, Jones had taken it upon himself to explore the Nutty Putty Cave in Utah, which was notoriously difficult to navigate.
Despite the tight passages and several unmapped areas within its walls, Jones and his spelunking enthusiast brother wanted to give the cave a go.
Unfortunately, it would ultimately end in tragedy, as Jones would become stuck inside the cave and suffer a long and horrific death, following desperate efforts from rescue teams.
The father-of-one would suffer "one of the worst deaths imaginable" while exploring the former tourist attraction, 89 kilometers from Salt Lake City.
Little did the medical student know when he entered the cave that it'd be the last thing he'd ever do, wedging himself "into his own grave."
Now, the cave enthusiast's final words have resurfaced.
More than 100 rescue personnel came to Jones' aid after the cave explorer became stuck in a narrow, unmapped passage, measuring 10 inches by 18 inches, head first.
He was searching for the formation known as the Birth Canal, which is a tight passage that spelunkers must crawl through carefully, and thought he found it before getting stuck, according to All That’s Interesting.
His heart had to pump blood against the force of gravity for blood to reach his extremities, causing problems for his cardiovascular system.
Attempts with a rope and pulley system to pull Jones loose also ultimately failed, as one of the men present, Shaun Roundy, recalled: “I reviewed the whole mission, wishing we’d have done this tiny detail differently or done that a little sooner.
“But it’s no use second-guessing things. We did our best.”
Jones seemed to admit defeat after the pulley system failed, saying via ABC News: “I’m going to die right here. I’m not going to come out of here, am I?”
His reported final words were not even about himself, but for one of his rescuers, Ryan Shurtz, who was injured when a loose carabiner flew back and hit him in the face.
“Is he okay? I think he’s really hurt bad,” Jones asked.
After a 27-hour rescue operation, Jones became unresponsive and died, suffering from cardiac arrest and suffocation.
Following his death, the cave has been closed to the public, and his body has never been recovered from its trapped position, to avoid more people risking their lives.
The decision was ultimately made to close the cave off and leave him inside.
Jones spoke to his family over a radio, which was lowered down before he died, as his wife recalled a feeling of peace that she gathered from a five to 10-minute conversation that they had.
He has been honored with a plaque and a wreath at the cave's entrance in memory of Jones, with a film eventually being made about the harrowing incident.
The cave's entrance would be filled with concrete to close it off from the public, as Jones, standing at six feet tall, could not be saved.
