STANSBURY PARK -- The father of a man who died trapped in a Utah cave says the rescue workers who tirelessly fought to save his son are now part of his family.
John Jones, 26, died late Wednesday, nearly 28 hours into an unsuccessful rescue effort to extract him from Nutty Putty cave. Officials say the cave will be sealed with Jones' body entombed.
At a Saturday memorial, Jones' father, Leon Jones, recounted his son's faith in spiritual redemption afterdeath and said search-and-rescue team members should not despair. He asked for a show of hands from the rescuers, and called them "part of our family."
"It was John's time to go. You were not meant to be successful on this one," Leon Jones said. "We love you and we're so thankful for you."
About 14 rescue workers were among the 400 mourners who attended the service.
Utah County sheriff's Sgt. Tom Hodgson, who led the effort, said rescue crews have struggled with John Jones' loss -- they're not used to leaving a body behind.
"It's amazing to us that in the family's time of mourning it's the rescuers they were thinking of," said Hodgson.
Hodgson said Jones' family and rescue crews grew close over the long hours of the rescue operation.
John Jones was in a group of about 11 -- including some of his brothers -- that set out on a spelunking expedition in Nutty Putty cave about 6 p.m. on Nov. 24. Jones became stuck in a vertical shaft about 18 inches wide and 10 inches high deep within the 1,500-foot cave.
Sheriff Jim Tracy has said Jones' exact cause of death will probably never be known but contributing factors likely included his inverted position for a prolonged period of time and the cave's cold temperatures.
John Jones' wife, Emily, and his sisters memorialized him Saturday as a fun-loving, humorous man who was devoted to his Mormon faith and missionary work.
Emily Jones, who is pregnant, said she found peace during the rescue attempt when her father-in-law performed a blessing for her husband. She said she was able to tell her husband about the blessing in a brief radio communication.
"That peace and that faith have not left me," she said.
Comments