A man stuck upside-down stuck in a cave for more than a day died early Thursday, despite the efforts of dozens of rescuers, authorities said.

John Jones, 26, of Stansbury Park died about 12:30 a.m., nearly 28 hours after became stuck 700 feet into the cave known as Nutty Putty, 80 miles from Salt Lake City, Utah County Sheriff's Department spokesman Sgt. Spencer Cannon said.

Rescuers were next to Jones for much of the day but he was wedged in a small hole too tightly to pull him out or even reach through to assist him, Cannon told The Associated Press.

"Over the past several hours he was experiencing difficulty maintaining consciousness and breathing. With whatever other factors there were, he did not survive," Cannon said.

Jones got stuck in a hole about 18 inches wide and 10 inches high with his head below his feet about 9 p.m. MST Tuesday. At times up to 50 rescuers were involved in trying to free him.

The crevice where Jones was trapped was about 150 feet below ground in an L-shaped area of the cave known as "Bob's Push," which is only about 18 inches wide and 10 inches high, Cannon said.

The process was slow throughout the day Wednesday with rescuers chipping away with air-powered tools in the arrow tunnel.

At one point late in the afternoon, Jones was freed from the crevice, only to fall back several feet into the tight space when a cord that was supporting him failed, Cannon said

Rescuers were able to get him food and water during that temporary freedom.

Cannon said Jones was about six feet tall and weighs between 180 and 200 pounds.

Niki Yeaton, clinical nurse coordinator for University Hospital's emergency department, said earlier that anyone who has been upside down as long as Jones could suffer from a rush of blood to the head that leads to confusion and nausea.

Nutty Putty cave is actually a hole on the top of hill about seven miles west of State Road 68. The naturally formed thermal cave is about 1,500 feet long. Its multiple, tunnels and passageways lead to room-like openings, a Web site for Utah cave-enthusiasts explains.

According to the official Nutty Putty cave Web site, the area was first discovered in 1960. The cave is privately owned by Utah's State Institutional Trust Land Administration. An access pass is required to explore the cave, with usage restricted to about six groups daily.

The county's last rescue there was in 2004.

Cannon said officials considered closing the tunnel or sealing it off after the last rescue but ultimately decided to erect a gate that requires a key for entry.

"We've had people stuck in this exact same spot. We're working and working to get him undone out of the spot and we don't really have any way of predicting what's gonna happen until _ boom, all the sudden they're out," he said.