SALT LAKE CITY -- Rescuers chipped away with air-powered tools in a narrow tunnel Wednesday to free a man trapped upside down about 150 feet below ground in a popular Utah cave.
Utah County sheriff's Sgt. Spencer Cannon said John Jones, 26, of Stansbury Park, became stuck about 700 feet into the narrow cave, known as Nutty Putty, at about 9 p.m. Tuesday while spelunking with a group of about 11 people.
"There's some pushing and pulling, but if there's any movement at all, it's just millimeters at a time," Cannon said.
Jones is stuck with his head below his feet in an L-shaped area of the cave known as "Bob's Push" that is only about 18 inches wide and 10 inches high, Cannon said.
Cannon said Jones is about six feet tall and weighs between 180 and 200 pounds.
A rescue crew was within a few feet of Jones, using air-powered tools to chip away at the rock around him. But Cannon said one of Jones' arms is stuck beneath his body, making it difficult for him to move.
He said it was unclear how long it might take to free Jones, but that rescue crews have been able to get food and water to him so he's in no danger of dehydration.
Nutty Putty cave is actually a hole on the top of hill about seven miles west of State Road 68, about 80 miles south of Salt Lake City. 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 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.
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