The hydrothermal cave in Utah is known for being extremely tight

Lucy Devine

A terrifying simulation shows what happened to an explorer who died inside the Nutty Putty cave in Utah.

The cave is well known in the caving community and became infamous around the globe after John Edward Jones tragically died while exploring it in 2009.

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Situated southwest of Utah Lake and 55 miles from Salt Lake City, the hydrothermal cave is known for being extremely tight, with narrow twists and tunnels throughout.

John, who was 26 at the time of his death, decided to explore the cave with three of his relatives just days before Thanksgiving.

But sadly, John never made it out.

It's believed that John attempted to travel into a tight passageway known as the 'Birth Canal' but unknowingly took a wrong turn and became trapped in an area of the cave measuring just 10 x 18 inches.

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John had been squeezing through the tight space, believing that he would eventually make it through the other side, but he had no idea he had actually gone the wrong way and he wasn't in the Birth Canal at all.

A horrifying simulation, by Zack D. Films, reveals how John became stuck upside down inside the cave, completely wedged and with no way to turn around.

While rescuers tried for 27 hours to free John, he eventually passed away after suffering from cardiac arrest.

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Volunteer Susie Motola spoke about some of John's final words.

He told her: "Hi Susie, thanks for coming but I really, really want to get out.

"I'm going to die right here. I'm not going to come out of here, am I?"

To try and free John, responders tried to pull him out using a rope system, which seemed to be working, with the team able to get him high enough to make eye contact.

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"It sucks. I’m upside down. I can’t believe I’m upside down. My legs are killing me," said John.

But sadly, the rope system failed and John plummeted down the tunnel and into an even more difficult position.

Sharing an account of the rescue mission, Brandon Kowalis – who tried to free John – explained how a radio had been sent down so that the explorer's family could speak to him.

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"There was a request to take the radio down to John so that his family could say some words to him," he wrote.

"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. 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."

Sadly, despite the team's best efforts, John passed away after hours of being stuck upside down, with many calling it the ‘worst death imaginable’.

It was deemed far too dangerous to try and retrieve his body, prompting the Jones family and the landowner to come to an agreement to permanently close the cave with John still inside.

The entrance hole has since been filled with concrete to prevent further access.

Topics: Health, Environment, US News