‘Never-before-seen’ footage shows attempts to rescue caver who died ‘worst death imaginable’

John Edward Jones died in one of the most traumatic and horrifying cave accidents in history. Now, a new documentary reveals never-before-seen footage of the rescue mission, which paints an even more heartbreaking picture.

In November 2009, 26-year-old John Edward Jones died one of the worst deaths imaginable. A medical student at the time, a husband and father, John had found a passion for exploring narrow, deep passages through caves.

However, what started as a normal adventure in Utah’s Nutty Putty Cave would become his last. His final moments unfolded in a way that left the entire world horrified, and the caving community changed forever.

What John Edward Jones thought was a familiar route led into a passage no one had ever mapped out. A space, just 10 inches high and 18 inches wide, became his death. The space was suffocatingly tight, and before John could do anything, he was stuck. He was wedged headfirst, unable to move or turn around.