It serves as a memorial to him
A poignant tribute has been left at the site where a man suffered one of the worst deaths imaginable whilst exploring a cave.
Back in 2009, John Edward Jones lost his life at the age of just 26 after he became stuck in Nutty Putty Cave, about 55 miles from Salt Lake City, Utah, USA.
John, a medical student and experienced explorer, had been exploring the cave with his brother Josh and other family members just a few days before Thanksgiving.
But he got stuck in a narrow tunnel known as the ‘Birth Canal’ of the cave. He and his brother had been trying to explore a tight passageway with a turnaround at the end, but John ended up going down the wrong passageway because that part of the cave was unmapped
John, who was six feet tall, tried to wriggle through using his hips, stomach and fingers, became stuck upside down in the L-shaped passageway, which was around 400 feet from the cave’s entrance and measured just 10 inches by 18 inches.
Every time he took a breath, his chest expanded and he became further stuck in the tight space. Despite Josh’s best efforts, he was unable to free his brother, and went to get help.
Over the next 24 hours, more than 100 rescue workers arrived to try and help free John.
Because of the pressure his body was under and the position he was in, John’s heart was having to work hard to keep blood pumping around his body.
The rescuers tried to get John loose using pulleys and did manage to pull him a few feet out of the passage.
But one of the pulleys then failed, and he fell back into the crevice.
Sadly, John was unable to be safely rescued and he passed away from cardiac arrest, shortly before midnight on November 25, 2009.
He had been stuck for 27 hours.
Following his death, the cave was sealed off so that no one else would lose their life in the cave.
Last year, two YouTubers, known as the Legacy Crawlers, visited the site, and found that a poignant tribute had been left to remember John by.
In a video of their visit, they found a plaque had been left at the cave in his memory.
John was survived by his wife Emily, who was pregnant at the time with a son, and his young daughter.
Speaking about her late husband in 2016, Emily said she is certain she will see John in the afterlife.
She 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.”
