John Edward Jones was just 26 years old when he died in a tragic accident in Nutty Putty Cave in 2009.
His death was painful, unimaginably slow, and truly terrifying, yet his widow, Emily Jones Sanchez, who was pregnant at the time of his death, is still cruelly trolled over a decade on.
Nutty Putty Cave was discovered in 1960, approximately 55 miles from Salt Lake City, Utah.
It was a local favorite with Boy Scout troops and college students, attracting 5,000 visitors a year.
While exploring an unfamiliar section of Nutty Putty Cave, Jones, who was an avid caver, became trapped upside down and hung there for over 24 hours before his death.
Despite rescue efforts from over 100 personnel, Jones died from cardiac arrest after being trapped for 27 to 28 hours.
Experts believe his fatal mistake was continuing further into the cave after realizing he was lost.
His harrowing last words revealed his desire to be saved for his family, saying, “Save me for my wife and kids.”
As rescuers struggled to free him, Jones expressed concern for one of them, Ryan Shurtz, who had been injured, asking, “Is he OK? I think he’s really hurt bad.”
Realizing the severity of his situation, Jones said, “I’m going to die right here. I’m not going to come out of here, am I?”
While the Nutty Putty cave was once a popular exploration site for cavers and Boy Scout troops, it has since closed to the public following Jones’ death and has now become a memorial site.
His wife, Emily Jones Sanchez, spoke to desert news about how Jones’ passing inspired people in struggling relationships to persevere and work things out.
She shared: “I can’t tell you how many people came up to me and said, ‘Nobody knows this but we’ve been really struggling in our marriage’.
“And some people even said, ‘We’ve been considering divorce and after hearing about your loss and everything you’ve been through, it’s really just put life in perspective for us and we’ve recommitted to loving each other better and to our marriage and to our family.’”
Jones’ story was made into a film called The Last Descent in 2016 and despite the family initially having reservations about Jones’ death being made into a movie, they felt like his tale would highlight the importance of treasuring your loved ones.
Jones Sanchez shared with Desert News: “We weighed the pros and cons and we finally decided that if this movie could help people if it could be a good thing, if people can learn to treasure their relationships and be reminded about how fragile life is, then maybe it’s worth it.”
The family were aware that giving the film’s director, Isaac Halasima, their blessing would also mean they were subjecting themselves to criticism and backlash from the public.
But even though she has moved on in her life – marrying Donovan Sanchez and welcoming another child – Emily is still subject to harassment and criticism from internet trolls.
Most of the hurtful remarks revolve around the fact that she remarried shortly after her husband’s death.
After posting a photo of herself and Sanchez on social media, she found herself bombarded with spiteful comments.
One person said: “I’m sure John wanted her to move 3 YEARS AFTER HIS TRAGIC DEATH.”
Someone else said: “She moved on pretty quick I’d say, married again after just 3 years?”
A third added: “Clearly she has moved on, no mention of John anywhere or any f***s given. And she married some guy 3 years after her husband died the worst death imaginable.”
Despite the hate she has received, Emily confirmed that Sanchez has ensured that Jones is still a part of their family life.
Jones Sanchez explains: “It’s never been hard to talk about John, it’s never been hard to remember John.
“Ever since the very beginning, ever since I first met Donovan, he’s been really comfortable with John continuing to be a part of our family and our lives, especially because of our kids.
“He just knows that the kids need to remember their dad so he’s good about wanting to stay in touch with the Joneses and he loves the Joneses.”
