Nutty Putty Rescue

[jumar]

http://www.ksl.com/index.php?nid=148&sid=8800398

Crews work to rescue man stuck in cave
November 25th, 2009 @ 8:28am
UTAH COUNTY -- More than 30 rescuers are trying to reach a man stuck in the Nutty Putty Caves in Utah County.

The Utah County Sheriff's Office says the 26-year-old man was with a group of 11 people when he became lodged in a narrow part of a cave around 8:45 p.m. Tuesday. Friends called authorities around 9:30 p.m. saying the man was stuck and could move only a couple of inches.

A helicopter is on stand by and crews from Utah County and Orem City say it could be hours before they're able to free him.

The sheriff's office says the group had a permit to tour the caves.

People have become trapped in this area in the past, and crews have had to chip away at rock to free them.

[jumar]

They may close it after this...

[DOSS]

They may close it after this...

Ok.. I have been in some seriously tight places in caves before and I have been in caves and said.. nope I am not going to fit.. I know others have done the same who were slightly bigger than me and watched me jam my body through stuff. that said it is the responsibility of the person going into the cave to make good decisions I don't need nor want the government to decide what I can and can not do in order to protect myself.

if this is so common I think one way to take care of the issue would be to build a frame work in front of the cave that is of similar size and such with a sign that says if you can't fit through this don't do X squeeze.. I have heard of similar at other caves back east. -- Mike if you read this and you want one built let me know I would be more than happy to weld something up, and set it in the ground out there :)

[DiscGo]

I have been in caves and said.. nope I am not going to fit.. )

I don't know where the guy got stuck or if you have ever done Nutty Putty but when you go into the Worm Hole you have to climb up into the worm hole and go all the way through and then turn around and come back the other way. It would be pretty difficult to get out backwards once you are in. (It is ridiculously tight)

I think one way to take care of the issue would be to build a frame work in front of the cave that is of similar size and such with a sign that says if you can't fit through this don't do X squeeze.

That is a great idea!

[jman]

yeah, I saw this on KSL and have been replying to threads (for funny or serious or smart ass) during the morning.

I would think they would not close it, but, then again....

[ammon1953]

i have my reservations for the second saturday of december, so i am hoping that they will not close it. does offer some added incentive to lose weight though, doesn't it?

[jumar]

I would think they would not close it, but, then again....

With how much it's been talked about in the past, wouldn't surprise me at all. It took some doing to keep it open. Other caves near there have been closed.

[ammon1953]

our group that is going in a couple of weeks are the 14-15 year old scouts. none of the boys or leaders are as large as this gentlemen. i just hope that the parents aren't watching this and decide to not let their boys go.

[trackrunner]

I would think they would not close it, but, then again....

With how much it's been talked about in the past, wouldn't surprise me at all. It took some doing to keep it open. Other caves near there have been closed.

It would be too bad to close something. I usually favor open access whenever possible. But what's going to happen in the next few days & weeks is a surge in demand to go there. Always happens. Happened with the Kolob Creek disaster; happened with Navajo Antelope canyon disaster. I heard after Antelope the Navajo were overwhelmed with requests to visit that they closed the area for about a year and eventually the new fad went away and it was reopened (yet the canyon was modified with stairs). Maybe something similar would need to happen here (minus the bolts and ladders overkill). Thoughts

[jumar]

They may need some additional assistance from skinny cavers if anyone is available.

[jumar]

John died last night. Our prayers go out to his family
http://www.ksl.com/index.php?nid=148&sid=8810404

The cave is currently closed.

[Don]

Hey Jumar, or someone who might know. Where can I find an accident history or accident statistics of Nutty Putty?

[Iceaxe]

Some of these are the same rescue from different sources.

From The Associated Press

Deputies Free Two Teens Trapped in Utah Cave
Thursday, July 29, 1999

ELBERTA, Utah (AP) Two teens exploring a popular underground cave were trapped for at least 10 hours after they got stuck in one of its narrow passages. Chris Hale was freed about 10:30 p.m. Wednesday from Nutty Putty Cave, located 120 feet below ground. His friend, Chris Marrow, was brought out a couple hours later, sheriff's Lt. Ron Fernstedt said. Both 17-year-olds only suffered minor abrasions.

The youths had camped in the area Tuesday night and entered the cave at about 9 a.m. They got stuck about 90 minutes later. The youths had taken lights and were well prepared, said Fernstedt. The youths became stuck in a portion called the Birth Canal, where hikers have to suck in their stomachs to get through.

From Desert News

2 S.L. teenagers rescued after getting stuck in cave

Thursday, July 29, 1999 12:00 a.m. MDT - By Jeff Call Deseret News staff writer

A pair of Salt Lake teens returned home early Thursday morning with no serious injuries after spending at least 12 hours wedged inside a narrow passage of a Utah County cave.

Chris Hale and Chris Marrow, both 17, entered the Nutty Putty Cave, located west of Utah Lake, at 9 a.m. Wednesday morning. By 10:30, they found themselves trapped in a section of the cave known as the Birth Canal, about 120 feet underground, with no way to move forward or backward."They got part way in and got stuck," said Utah County Lt. Ron Fernstedt. "They were too big for the area they were trying to crawl through. It is tight. It's an area where you must suck in your stomach to get through."

The youths were with friends who alerted emergency personnel. Crews arrived about 11:30 a.m.

Hale was brought out of the cave at 10:30 p.m. and Marrow, who was stuck ahead of Hale, was freed a couple of hours later, Fernstedt said.

Rescue workers gently tugged the boys' feet and ankles to remove them from the narrow passageway, he added. About 40 people, including 25 from the county's Search and Rescue Team, assisted in the effort.

Hale and Marrow suffered only minor abrasions and returned home with their parents.

"They were in good condition, just hungry and tired," Fernstedt said. "They were in pretty good spirits once they got out."

The youths had been camping in the area Tuesday night before going into the cave the following morning. They had flashlights with them, Fernstedt said.

Nutty Putty, located on a hill west of U-68, about 12 miles northwest of Elberta, is a popular spot among local hikers.

From Daily Herald

Sunday, 18 March 2001

TIGHT SQUEEZE-- Two 13-year-old Boy Scouts from Sandy spent about four hours trapped in the "Birth Canal" section of the Nutty Putty Caves in North Utah County Saturday afternoon. Utah County Search and Rescue personnel freed the boys who were tired and dehydrated.

From Desert News

Rescuers remove 2 teens trapped for hours in caves
Tuesday, March 20, 2001 4:40 p.m. MST

Two 13-year-old Boy Scouts from Sandy were trapped for about four hours Saturday in underground caves before rescue teams pulled them out.

Rescue teams from Utah County Sheriff's Office extracted the boys from Nutty Putty Cave at about 7 p.m. The two teens were treated for dehydration and fatigue at the scene.

The caves, considered dangerous for inexperienced climbers, are located west of Lehi.

From The Associated Press

Youth rescued from cave after getting stuck upside down while spelunking
Saturday, 21 August 2004

SALT LAKE CITY -- A 16-year-old Orem boy who got stuck upside down in a cave while spelunking with friends was in a hospital Saturday after an all-night rescue operation left him too weak to stand on his own.

About 20 Utah County search and rescue volunteers helped free Brock Clark from the Nutty Putty Cave area, where he got stuck about 4 p.m. Friday shortly after entering the long, narrow cave, said Utah County sheriff's Sgt. Spencer Cannon.

Brock was "very, very fatigued and weak" when he finally emerged from the cave around 6 a.m. Saturday, Cannon said. "He couldn't walk by himself."

Brock's mother, Holly Clark, said Saturday that he was wedged in the narrow cave with his left leg behind him, and that his blood circulation was affected all along his left side. Brock will remain in Mountain View Hospital in Payson until he regains his strength, she said.

Clark said her son was having difficulty straightening the leg. "He's doing surprisingly well," she said. Brock is strong, she said, but had been scared during the ordeal. "Who wouldn't be, trapped like that?" she said.

Cannon said Brock was leading a group of about six teens exploring the cave, about seven miles west of U-68 on the west side of Utah Lake.

The youth had gone in head first. When he realized he'd gotten a little off course, he tried to twist his way back out but only wedged himself in tighter.

One of his friends stayed with him while others went to get help. Clark said rescuers were notified about 6 p.m. but it took some time after that for the rescue operation to begin.

Cannon said that Brock "did as much shimmying as he could" as rescuers coached, pushed and pulled him about 400 feet over rocks and through narrow cracks in the cave.

The cave, which has a near-vertical entry before leveling, is popular with spelunkers. Cannon said rescuers get called a couple of times a year to pull people out. "There are some fairly steep and difficult areas," in the cave, he said.

Clark, who said she was an athletic person, would like to go into the cave to see where her boy got stuck. "Groups go in all the time," she said. "I think he just got to a little dead end and didn't realize it."

From Deseret Morning News

Caver rescued from a tight spot
By Rodger L. Hardy
Saturday, Aug. 21, 2004 10:07 p.m. MDT

A 16-year-old Orem boy has been hospitalized in stable condition after spending the night wedged between a rock and a hard place.

Brock Clark was the lead spelunker exploring the Nutty Putty Cave with at least five other youths, about seven miles west of Utah Lake in southwest Utah County on Friday, Sheriff's Sgt. Spencer Cannon said.

Clark ascended into a narrow, vertical cave head first and became stuck upside down, Cannon said. It took rescuers nearly 10 hours to extract him from his precarious position. Then it took another two hours to help him recuperate enough from a weakened condition to get him down to his parents, Cannon said.

About 20 rescuers used ropes and patience once he was free of the cave's grasp to walk him down to a waiting ambulance where emergency medical technicians with the Eureka ambulance service evaluated him.
Clark's mother, Holly Clark, told the Associated Press Saturday that he was wedged in the narrow cave with his left leg behind him, and that his blood circulation was affected all along his left side.

Clark is being treated at Mountainview Hospital in Payson and will remain there until he regains his strength, his mother said.

"We wiggled, pulled and pushed a millimeter at a time. It was very fatiguing to him," Cannon said.

Holly Clark said her son was having difficulty straightening the leg. "He's doing surprisingly well," she said. Brock is strong, she said, but had been scared during the ordeal. "Who wouldn't be, trapped like that?" she said.
The cave, which has a near-vertical entry before leveling, is popular with spelunkers. Cannon said rescuers get called a couple of times a year to pull people out. "There are some fairly steep and difficult areas," in the cave, he said.

Clark would like to go into the cave to see where her boy got stuck. "Groups go in all the time," she said. "I think he just got to a little dead end and didn't realize it."

From The Associated Press

Youth rescued from cave after getting stuck upside down while spelunking
Saturday, 21 August 2004

SALT LAKE CITY -- A 16-year-old Orem boy who got stuck upside down in a cave while spelunking with friends was in a hospital Saturday after an all-night rescue operation left him too weak to stand on his own.

About 20 Utah County search and rescue volunteers helped free Brock Clark from the Nutty Putty Cave area, where he got stuck about 4 p.m. Friday shortly after entering the long, narrow cave, said Utah County sheriff's Sgt. Spencer Cannon.

Brock was "very, very fatigued and weak" when he finally emerged from the cave around 6 a.m. Saturday, Cannon said. "He couldn't walk by himself."

Brock's mother, Holly Clark, said Saturday that he was wedged in the narrow cave with his left leg behind him, and that his blood circulation was affected all along his left side. Brock will remain in Mountain View Hospital in Payson until he regains his strength, she said.

Clark said her son was having difficulty straightening the leg. "He's doing surprisingly well," she said. Brock is strong, she said, but had been scared during the ordeal. "Who wouldn't be, trapped like that?" she said.

Cannon said Brock was leading a group of about six teens exploring the cave, about seven miles west of U-68 on the west side of Utah Lake.

The youth had gone in head first. When he realized he'd gotten a little off course, he tried to twist his way back out but only wedged himself in tighter.

One of his friends stayed with him while others went to get help. Clark said rescuers were notified about 6 p.m. but it took some time after that for the rescue operation to begin.

Cannon said that Brock "did as much shimmying as he could" as rescuers coached, pushed and pulled him about 400 feet over rocks and through narrow cracks in the cave.

The cave, which has a near-vertical entry before leveling, is popular with spelunkers. Cannon said rescuers get called a couple of times a year to pull people out. "There are some fairly steep and difficult areas," in the cave, he said.

Clark, who said she was an athletic person, would like to go into the cave to see where her boy got stuck. "Groups go in all the time," she said. "I think he just got to a little dead end and didn't realize it."

From Deseret Morning News

Caver rescued from a tight spot
By Rodger L. Hardy
Saturday, Aug. 21, 2004 10:07 p.m. MDT

A 16-year-old Orem boy has been hospitalized in stable condition after spending the night wedged between a rock and a hard place.

Brock Clark was the lead spelunker exploring the Nutty Putty Cave with at least five other youths, about seven miles west of Utah Lake in southwest Utah County on Friday, Sheriff's Sgt. Spencer Cannon said.

Clark ascended into a narrow, vertical cave head first and became stuck upside down, Cannon said. It took rescuers nearly 10 hours to extract him from his precarious position. Then it took another two hours to help him recuperate enough from a weakened condition to get him down to his parents, Cannon said.

About 20 rescuers used ropes and patience once he was free of the cave's grasp to walk him down to a waiting ambulance where emergency medical technicians with the Eureka ambulance service evaluated him.
Clark's mother, Holly Clark, told the Associated Press Saturday that he was wedged in the narrow cave with his left leg behind him, and that his blood circulation was affected all along his left side.

Clark is being treated at Mountainview Hospital in Payson and will remain there until he regains his strength, his mother said.

"We wiggled, pulled and pushed a millimeter at a time. It was very fatiguing to him," Cannon said.

Holly Clark said her son was having difficulty straightening the leg. "He's doing surprisingly well," she said. Brock is strong, she said, but had been scared during the ordeal. "Who wouldn't be, trapped like that?" she said.
The cave, which has a near-vertical entry before leveling, is popular with spelunkers. Cannon said rescuers get called a couple of times a year to pull people out. "There are some fairly steep and difficult areas," in the cave, he said.

Clark would like to go into the cave to see where her boy got stuck. "Groups go in all the time," she said. "I think he just got to a little dead end and didn't realize it."

[jumar]

http://www.sltrib.com/news/ci_13879115

Nutty Putty cave will be sealed with man's body inside

[jumar]

Hey Jumar, or someone who might know. Where can I find an accident history or accident statistics of Nutty Putty?

We could probably dig them up from various sources. Or someone in the grotto like Mike Leavitt might have that info.