![]() ![]() ![]() "We considered sealing off access to different portions of the cave, but thought it would not be appropriate to have recreationists going near his final resting place," Cannon said. Cannon said no other recreation area in the county has a 1-to-5 death ratio.īecause of Jones' death, officials say the area is now considered a sacred place, which reinforced the decision to seal the cave in its entirety. The decision to seal the entire cave was made because officials believe the area is too dangerous. … This decision gives us the opportunity to respect the family and properly address a final resting place for John." "We don't want to take what we love about Utah out of our lives. "We live in an active, outdoorsy area and that doesn't come without risks," Tracy said. The decision to seal the cave is controversial since the cave has been a popular site for caving enthusiasts and area recreationists since the 1960s. Sheriff Jim Tracy said the decision was made out of respect for the family and considering the fact that this is the fifth incident of this kind in the cave within the past 10 years. The risk is too high," Utah County Sheriff's Sgt. ![]() "There will be no future efforts to remove the body because of where it's located and the danger of accessing the area. A 27-hour rescue involving more than 130 volunteers was mounted within an hour of the 911 call that went out late Tuesday, but Jones ultimately lost consciousness and died. Jones, 26, of Stansbury Park, died in the cave late Wednesday after he became stuck in an 18-inch by 10-inch L-shaped "pinch point" in an unnamed area of the cave. The decision to not retrieve the body and permanently seal the cave near Elberta was made after numerous meetings with state and county officials, caving experts, search and rescue team members and those in Jones' family. It was a difficult decision as evidenced by the cracking voices and watering eyes of officials who made the announcement Friday, many of whom are still reeling from the devastation of Jones' death. Nutty Putty is now closed until a decision can be made about its future, Leavitt said.SPANISH FORK - The Nutty Putty Cave will serve as the final resting place for John Jones. The application and pass system is designed to make sure those who go into the cave either have adequate experience or a guide to ensure their safety, Leavitt said. I'm sure he went into this passage hoping it was going to open up into one of the larger rooms." "They were qualified, John was qualified. "They've never been to Nutty Putty before, but they toured many harder caves in the Logan area that required vertical climbing skills," said Leavitt, one of dozens of cavers who volunteered with the rescue effort. Reservations and an access pass is required to explore the cave, with usage restricted to about six groups daily.Ĭave access manager, Michael Leavitt said the Jones group had a pass and were experienced cavers, based on the information provided on a pass application. The cave is privately owned by Utah's State Institutional Trust Land Administration. At times more than 50 rescuers were involved in trying to free him.Ĭannon said the sheriff's office wouldn't give an opinion about whether the cave should remain open for recreation or be closed. The 6-foot-tall, 190-pound spelunker got stuck with his head at an angle below his feet about 9 p.m. John Jones was part of a group of 11 people exploring the cave passages. Cannon said recovery work can be more aggressive than a rescue because the victim's well-being is considered differently. Rescue teams had been using drilling equipment to try and free Jones from the cave. It's unclear when the effort will resume. "We are deeply thankful for the compassion and care they showed John and our family - even to the point of singing John primary songs to help get him through the night," the statement said.Ī recovery effort to extract John Jones' body from the cave was on hold Thursday as the Utah County sheriff's office tried to determine how best to proceed, Sgt. In a statement, the family said the couple was expecting their second child in June. He had a wife and 8-month-old daughter and was a second-year medical student at the University of Virginia. His funeral is planned for Saturday in Stansbury Park. ![]()
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