'I watched man suffer worst death imaginable as I tried to save him'

Brandon Kowallis, a renowned cave explorer and YouTuber, was the last person to see tragic trainee medic John Jones alive after he tragically died trapped upside down in a cave.

John lost his life after being stuck for over 24 hours in Utah's Nutty Putty Cave back in 2009, with one of the rescuers who attempted to save him sharing his final moments. Despite relentless efforts, the rescuer has now revealed the heart-wrenching reason why he couldn't save John from what has been described as the 'worst death imaginable'.

At just 26, John was a medical student and an enthusiastic explorer with extensive experience in caving. However, more than 15 years ago, he made a fatal mistake that has since been likened to 'crawling into his own grave'.

When he became wedged in a particularly narrow section of the cave known as the 'birth canal', it quickly became clear that John, who stood at six feet tall, was unable to move. A wrong turn in the tunnel ultimately cost him his life.

Brandon has since shared his perspective of the tragic events in a blog post, recounting the rescue mission he participated in on that fateful day in 2009. By the time rescuers reached John on November 15, Brandon remembered that he had been trapped for several hours and the situation was rapidly deteriorating.

The cave explorer said: "He was in and out of consciousness and had started talking about seeing angels and demons around him." Brandon's role was to navigate the dangerous and exceedingly narrow shaft to check on John, accompanied by another rescuer. However, what he encountered in there continues to haunt him.

He recalls hearing a gurgling breath as fluid accumulated in John's lungs, and his legs twitched uncontrollably. He stated: "It looked like he could only be lifted another foot or two in his current position because of where the webbing was anchored around his knees.

"After a foot or two his feet would hit the ceiling. And then once he reached the ceiling, there was no way to tilt him to a horizontal position." With no means to adjust him into the required position, and John needing to utilise his own strength to manoeuvre himself, the task was already incredibly challenging. But with John unconscious, it was unachievable.

In a further desperate bid to rescue him, the possibility of using a jackhammer to broaden the tight tunnel was even discussed - but this would have been a harsh option. According to the explorer, John would have been severely injured, however, it was a measure they were prepared to contemplate in a desperate attempt to save his life.

After hours of painstakingly chipping away and hammering at the rocks, the task proved even more difficult than anticipated. Brandon's estimates suggested that it would take anywhere from 'three to seven days' to extricate John from the cave, and time was not on their side.

During this ordeal, John's family communicated with him via a radio, expressing their love and sharing their final words. Brandon remembers hearing John's loved ones praying for him and his father bestowing a blessing upon him.

Rescue teams worked tirelessly into the night, painstakingly chipping away at the rock. However, just before midnight, they were instructed to check John's vital signs.

Tragically, he was declared dead at approximately 11:52, with the cause of death being cardiac arrest and suffocation.

The young man, aged 26, left behind his beloved wife, Emily, and their infant daughter, Lizzie. They were also expecting another child who was born following the tragic incident. The baby boy was named in honour of his late father, John.