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Photo illustration John Jones' body is stuck in uncharted territory near Ed's Push in the Nutty Putty cave. Jones died Thursday, November 26, 2009 after he became trapped in the cave around 8:45 p.m. Tuesday night. The area he was stuck in was an offshoot from the main path on the north side at the end of the cave. The crevice is not named, mainly because it is too small for most cavers to reach and map.

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A rescuer from Utah Cave Rescue works Wednesday to free John Jones from deep in the Nutty Putty cave. Jones died shortly before midnight Wednesday after being stuck in the crevice for more than 27 hours. Photos courtesy Utah County Sheriff's office

Ashley Franscell

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John Jones's body is stuck in an uncharted area in the southeast portion of the cave. Cave map drawn by Brandon Kowalis.

Daily Herald

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The Nutty Putty Cave, where John Edward Jones spent the last nearly 28 hours of his life, will also be his final resting place.

Officials announced Friday afternoon that the cave will be permanently closed and sealed, and rescue workers will no longer attempt to remove Jones’s body.

“Because of where he is located in the cave and the danger involved in accessing that area, we have determined that the risk involved in removing John from the cave is too high,” said Utah County sheriff’s Sgt. Spencer Cannon. “With that in mind it has been decided that the cave will be permanently closed to all access.”

Though plans have not been finalized on how the cave will be closed, officials say there will be a spot reserved for Jones’s family to erect a memorial for him. Officials from several agencies will meet Monday morning to discuss the best way to seal the cave, and a uniformed deputy will be guarding the entrance until the cave has been permanently closed. An important point for family and rescuers is that Jones’s resting place remain undisturbed.

“It will be, as they described it, a sacred place to them,” Cannon said.

Jones became trapped in the cave around 8:45 p.m. Tuesday night. The area he was stuck in was an offshoot from the main path on the southeast side at the end of the cave. The crevice is not named, mainly because it is too small for most cavers to reach and map.

Josh Jones, John Jones’s younger brother, offered a statement of gratitude to rescue workers. He said he knows some rescuers may feel they have failed the family, but family members know workers did everything they could to free their son and brother.

“We just want to thank the rescue workers,” he said.

As an adventurous family, Josh Jones said, they understand how others may feel they are losing the opportunity to explore Nutty Putty Cave. John Jones would not want to inhibit adventure, his brother said, but he would want to protect others from the tragedy that could occur in Nutty Putty. This was not an isolated incident, he said, as several others have been trapped in the cave in the past. Now, when the cave is sealed off, it will be safe for others and provide a place to remember Jones.

“It is a place to honor and respect our brother,” Josh Jones said.

Sgt. Tom Hodgson said it was a difficult decision for all parties to seal the cave. However, there was no question what had to be done. There have been five high-profile rescues in the last 10 years, including a teenager who was stuck in the same area as Jones, but four to six feet closer to the entrance.

Rescues of people in the cave or those who get lost looking for the cave have been a big drain on resources, with this rescue the most difficult experience Hodgson said he had ever dealt with in his career.

“We’ve suffered a tragedy in this cave that we hope to prevent from happening again,” he said.

Hodgson said he was proud of the Herculean effort of rescuers, many of whom are suffering emotionally as a result of the outcome. Rescuers were close enough to see the man and worked for more than a full day to save him, but lost him in the end. Hodgson said the space was so tight that jackhammers could not be used. The space was so tight, one rescuer was working with a ball-peen hammer and could swing only six inches to try and chip away the rock.

More than 130 people worked to rescue Jones, expending approximately 3,700 man hours. It took a toll on rescuers, Hodgson said, but the emotional trauma was eased by Jones’s caring family. The family worked alongside crews and supported them throughout the process, supporting rescuers even after the passing of Jones.

“Their primary concern has been the well-being and the mental health of the rescuers, and I think that family deserves a lot of credit for that,” he said.

The cave is located on state school trust lands. Kim Christy, assistant director of the Utah School and Institutional Trust Lands Administration, said the officials will try to expedite the process as much as possible in closing the cave. A meeting Monday will help determine how to close the cave, after which Christy said he hopes to finish the project within two to three weeks.

“We’re very distraught with what has occurred here,” he said.

John Jones, 26, leaves behind a pregnant wife, Emily, and a young child. In lieu of flowers, the family has asked for contributions to be made to the Emily Jones Foundation memorial fund at Wells Fargo, Utah Community Credit Union and Zions Bank.

His funeral will be held today at 11 a.m. at the Stansbury Park Stake Center.