Nutty Putty Cave Incident

Nov 16, 2023

Explore the gripping tale of the Nutty Putty Cave, notorious for trapping explorers. Learn about the dangers of exploring sealed off places. Experience the harrowing rescue attempt to save John, trapped in the cave. Discover the decision to seal the cave and leave John's body inside. Delve into the supernatural qualities of caves and enjoy sponsor ads.

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INSIGHT

Popularity Masked Serious Risk

Nutty Putty Cave became popular because it was easy to access but extremely challenging once inside.
That mismatch attracted many inexperienced visitors and drove repeated rescues and risk.

ANECDOTE

Teenagers Stuck 12 Hours And Rescued

Two 17-year-olds, Chris Merrow and Chris Hale, got stuck for nearly 12 hours in the birth canal and were rescued after slow chiseling.
They survived with minor injuries but the ordeal highlighted the cave's danger for amateurs.

ANECDOTE

Upside-Down Rescue That Nearly Cost A Leg

Sixteen-year-old Brock Clark entered headfirst and became wedged upside-down with his leg pinned for over 12 hours.
He survived but required hospitalization and long recovery due to circulation loss.

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Discovered in Utah County in 1960, Nutty Putty Cave quickly became a popular destination for amateur and professional cavers and spelunkers as a kind of bucket list cave of considerable difficulty. Despite its popularity, beginning in the late 1980s, the cave became notorious for the number of explorers who became trapped and required emergency assistance to escape its twisting, narrow, and poorly mapped passageways.

In late November 2009, the inherent risk and dangers of Nutty Putty Cave made national news when twenty-six-year-old college student John Edward Jones became trapped upside-down in an uncharted and perilously narrow section of the cave.

Thank you to the incredible Dave White of Bring me the Axe Podcast for research assistance!

References

Ashton, Katie. 2006. "Nutty Putty Cave entrance getting a gate." Daily Herald, May 2: 23.

Associated Press. 2006. "Utah's caves remain open one year after Provo tragedy." Daily Herald, August 14: 8.

—. 2009. Man dies after day trapped upside-down in cave. November 25. Accessed October 12, 2023. https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna34157005.

—. 2009. Man dies after day trapped upside-down in cave. November 25. Accessed October 13, 2023. https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna34157005.

—. 2009. "Recovery of caver's body deemed too dangerous." Roanoke Times, November 28: 4.

—. 2004. "Teen stuck in cave is rescued." Salt Lake Tribune, August 22: 20.

Cabero, Alex. 2009. Nutty Putty Cave discoverer doesn't want it to be closed. November 27. Accessed October 12, 2023. https://www.ksl.com/article/8824435/nutty-putty-cave-discoverer-doesnt-want-it-to-be-closed.

Canham, Matt. 2004. "BYU student freed from cave." Salt Lake Tribune, Septmber 5: 21.

LaPlante, Matthew. 2009. "Popular cave draws ill-prepared adventurers." Salt Lake Tribune, November 25.

Nokkentved, N.S. 2005. "State may close popular cave." Daily Herald, June 26: 21.

Outside Magazine. 2002. Exploring Caving Accidents, Deaths, and Rescues in the United States. August 3. Accessed October 12, 2023. https://www.outsideonline.com/outdoor-adventure/exploration-survival/exploring-caving-accidents-deaths-and-rescues-united-states/.

Peterson, Chris. 2005. "Father says daughter died doing what she loved." Daily Herald, August 19: 1.

Reporter-Times. 1999. "Deputies free teens from cave." Reporter-Times, July 29: 3.

Tanner, Steve. 1999. "Teens spend long day in dark." Daily Herald, July 29: 1.

Waqar, Jehanzeb. 2022. The Nutty Putty Cave and the untimely death of a young caver. December 15. Accessed October 12, 2023. https://interestingengineering.com/culture/nutty-putty-cave-death-young-caver.

Whitehurst, Lindsay. 2018. Nutty Putty: ‘I really, really want to get out’. July 9. Accessed October 13, 2023. https://www.sltrib.com/news/2018/07/09/nutty-putty-i-really/.

—. 2018. Nutty Putty: ‘We’re going to get you out’. July 10. Accessed October 13, 2023. https://www.sltrib.com/news/2018/07/10/nutty-putty-were-going/

Cowritten by Alaina Urquhart, Ash Kelley & Dave White (Since 10/2022)

Produced & Edited by Mikie Sirois (Since 2023)

Research by Dave White (Since 10/2022), Alaina Urquhart & Ash Kelley

Listener Correspondence & Collaboration by Debra Lally

Listener Tale Video Edited by Aidan McElman (Since 6/2025)

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