Nutty Putty Cave will close despite hundreds of complaints

The Utah cave where a 26-year-old medical student became trapped and died last week will likely be permanently sealed in the next two to three weeks, a sheriff's sergeant said Monday.

State and county officials met Monday afternoon to discuss how and when Nutty Putty Cave will be closed.

John Jones died late Wednesday, some 28 hours after he became wedged in a narrow passage in an unmapped portion of the cave. Rescuers were unable to free him.

On Friday, cave managers, law enforcement officers and Jones' family decided that his body could not be safely recovered and that the 1,500-foot cave should be permanently shuttered.

Michael Leavitt, who managed access to the cave, said he has since fielded hundreds of e-mails, including many from people urging that the popular cave south of Salt Lake remain open.

That's not an option.

"The decision was unilateral to close it," he said. "There is no backtracking or retreat."

Rather, those involved are moving ahead to seal off the cave as soon as possible, said Utah County Sheriff's Sgt. Spencer Cannon.

Officials at Monday's meeting discussed what kinds of materials might be used to plug the cave's single entrance and what kind of equipment might be needed.

Two options included using concrete or some kind of bulldozed material, Cannon said, but no final decision was made.

They want to be sure the work isn't vulnerable to vandals. The cave not only poses a danger but also is now considered a sacred site for the Jones family, Cannon said.

Vandals have shown a willingness in the past to break into Nutty Putty.

The last time someone got in — a maneuver that required a climb through its narrow 12-foot entryway and tools to cut a metal locked gate — a note was left that taunted managers, Leavitt said.

"We want to avoid that kind of thing happening again," Cannon said.

Before it's permanently sealed, a crew will collect some of the remaining equipment in the cave, including a ladder and the cave's registry.

A deputy will remain posted near the cave's entrance until the closure is complete.