Hot on Facebook

Guy Buys $123 Safe on eBay, Finds $26,000 Inside Seller tries to get half the cash back, fails »

Utah Caver Stuck Upside-Down Dies

Rescuers fail to free man in crevice 150 feet underground

By Rob Quinn, Newser Staff

Posted Nov 26, 2009 7:02 AM CST

(Newser) – Frantic efforts by dozens of rescuers failed to save a man stuck upside down in a Utah cave. The caver, 26, died after spending 28 hours upside down in the Nutty Putty cave, wedged into a crevice 150 feet below ground so tightly that rescuers couldn't pull him out or reach through to assist him. It wasn't immediately clear what killed the caver, though he was having difficulty breathing, AP reports.

Anyone upside down as long as the caver was suffers nausea and confusion, said a medical expert. The man became stuck in "absolutely the worst spot in the cave," one rescuer told the Deseret News. "It's very narrow, very awkward, and it's difficult to get rescuers down there." At one point, he said, they managed to hoist the man out using a rope pulley system. He was given food and water and spoke to his wife over a police radio before the equipment failed, dropping him back into the same crevice.

[Images (1)]

[Videos (1)]

Part of the Nutty Putty cave system, 60 miles from Salt Lake City, Utah. (YouTube)

« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow

A local news report on the rescue effort. (channeljones)

View larger videos >>

« Prev« Prev | Next »Next »

CLICK BELOW TO VOTE

To report an error on this story, notify our editors.

More Newser Stories

Caver Who Died Stayed in 'Good Spirits'

Nutty Putty crevice was the site of successful rescues in 2004

(NEWSER) - The spelunker who died after being stuck upside-down in a Utah cave for 28 hours became wedged in exactly the same spot where two others had gotten stuck in recent years. In those cases, both in 2004, rescuers saved the trapped explorers. "Caving isn't generally considered to be a dangerous sport," said a sheriff's official. "But I think you can safely say this is a dangerous spot in that cave." More»

Teen Killed by Toy Cannon

Replica cannon held shot, fired accidentally

(NEWSER) - A 14-year-old Utah boy playing with a small replica of an 18th-century cannon was killed Monday when the toy accidentally fired and struck him in the face, reports the New York Daily News . The cannon may be a toy, but it can hold a 0.50-caliber round and black powder charge. A friend of the boy said they often filled the cannon with black powder and tinfoil cannonballs. But on Monday morning, the boy was looking down the cannon's 6-inch barrel when it discharged. "It was an accident that shouldn't have happened," says the boy's grandmother. "It was just a toy." More»

Utah Cave to Be Sealed with Man's Body Inside

Recovering body from Nutty Putty cave too dangerous

(NEWSER) - The cave where a spelunker died this week is to be permanently sealed off with his body inside, officials say. John Jones, a 26-year-old med student, died after being stuck in Utah's Nutty Putty cave for 28 hours and police say it will be too dangerous to recover his body. "If we put other people in that same location, they could get stuck or get hurt," a search and rescue coordinator tells AP . More»

Mountain Man Terrifying Utah Cabin Owners

He has eluded capture for five years

(NEWSER) - A mysterious mountain man wanted by the law is wandering the desolate backwoods of southern Utah, reports AP . He breaks into cabins and steals food, alcohol, and guns and then disappears back into the wilderness. Authorities have been searching for him for five years to no avail, and they worry he's becoming unhinged. No violent encounters have been reported, but lately he has been ransacking vacant cabins, shooting them up, and defiling religious icons. He left a note in one saying, "Get off my mountain." More»

Romney's Olympic Role Challenged

Some in Utah think Romney overstates 'lifesaver' image

(NEWSER) - Mitt Romney's role in saving the 2002 Winter Olympics in Utah and making them one of the most successful Winter Games ever had been a central part of his political biography for years. But now in Utah, many citizens are rebelling against that characterization, saying Romney overstates the crisis and his role in fixing it, reports the Washington Post . A bribery scandal did tarnish the event, but it in no way threatened the event with cancelation, said Robert Garff, the chairman of the Salt Lake City Olympic committee. More»

NEWS FROM OUR PARTNERS

What is Newser?

Face it: there's too much news. At Newser, we choose the most thought-provoking and entertaining stories from hundreds of US and international sources and reduce them to a headline, picture, and two paragraphs. And we do it 24/7—you can come back morning, noon, night (and in between) for something new that matters. Read less, know more.

Learn more »

Partnering with: Slate

View Newser on the mobile website

Utah Caver Stuck Upside-Down Dies