Rescuers face unimaginable decision as cave explorer suffocates to death

It was a decision no one should have to make, but for those attempting to rescue a cave explorer, it was a matter of life and death.

John Jones experienced what has been described as the most horrific death imaginable when he became trapped upside down in a tiny, cramped cave for over 24 hours. The rescue team faced a difficult decision: attempt to save his life, knowing it would cause him immense pain.

Brandon Kowallis was the last person to see the young man alive before his tragic demise after becoming stuck upside down inside a cave, and the details of that night continue to haunt him. At just 26, John Jones lost his life after being trapped for more than 24 hours in Utah's Nutty Putty Cave in 2009 - but he wasn't alone.

A dedicated team of rescuers, including Brandon, worked tirelessly to try to save him. As a fellow cave explorer and avid YouTuber, Brandon did his utmost to free John from his predicament and help him escape the cave, but it was far from easy.

Since then, he has spoken out about the harrowing decision he had to make as a last-ditch effort to save John's life. A six-foot-tall John was completely trapped inside the cave, in a section known as the birth canal, owing to its exceptionally narrow space.

Consequently, he was unable to move - a single mistaken turn in that passage had sealed his fate. In a blog post describing the incident, the rescuer recounts the operation on that fateful day of November 15, 2009.

Upon arriving at the cave to discover an upside-down, unconscious John, he observed conditions were deteriorating "quickly downhill". He explained: "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, he would hit the ceiling. And then once he reached the ceiling, there was no way to tilt him to a horizontal position." There was no possibility of adjusting his position, as John would need to pull himself up using his own strength, but at this stage, he was unconscious.

In a frantic bid to rescue him, the team contemplated a distressing strategy involving a jackhammer to expand the tunnel, though it would cause severe injuries. During this procedure, the rescuer acknowledges John would have sustained significant cuts and numerous broken bones but it represented the sole chance to preserve his life.

However, Brandon recalls precisely how challenging this undertaking proved after hours of chipping away and hammering at the rocks. In his blog, he documented his calculations, estimating it would require anywhere from 'three to seven days' to extract John from the cave, and that was time they simply didn't have.

Prior to this, the cave explorer described the precarious condition John was in, writing: "He was in and out of consciousness and had started talking about seeing angels and demons around him." Upon reaching into the cave, he encountered a man making disturbing gurgling breathing sounds, caused by fluid accumulating in his lungs, with restlessly twitching legs.

Whilst they persevered, Brandon, alongside other rescuers, continued chipping away through the night, even knowing they risked breaking his bones, but it proved insufficient to save him. When they checked on him, he was pronounced dead at approximately 11:52, having suffered cardiac arrest and suffocation.

The 26 year old medical student left behind a devoted wife, Emily, who was expecting at the time of his death. The bay was named in his honour, and he became the little brother to his daughter Lizzie.