Nutty Putty Cave will keep John Edward Jones for all eternity. But he will be the last victim the deadly Utah County cavern has a chance to claim.

Jones, 26, perished late Wednesday, wedged in an 18-inch by 10-inch passage 600 feet from the entrance and 150 feet below ground.

At one point, Jones was temporarily freed by rescuers using ropes and pulleys, but an anchor attached to the wall of the cave broke loose and he slid back into the fissure. And, despite the best efforts of 137 rescuers who toiled a combined 3,700 hours during the day-long attempt, the cave wouldn't let go again.

Now, the state School and Institutional Trust Lands Administration, which owns the land, will make sure history doesn't repeat itself. SITLA will permanently, and wisely, seal the cave.

The decision is partly out of respect for the dead. Nutty Putty, located about seven miles west of State Road 68, will be Jones' final resting place. County officials have determined and the Jones family agrees that it's too dangerous to recover the body. A marker will be placed at the cave entrance, a permanent memorial to the husband, father, son, brother and medical student from Stansbury Park.

But the decision is also a sign of respect for the living, the estimated 5,000 cavers who cavort in the cavern each year. In spelunking circles, Nutty Putty is not known as a particularly challenging grotto. No long rappels, no flooded chambers, several large rooms.

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But east of the entrance, where Jones was exploring, the cave narrows dramatically, with features known as The Birth Canal and The Aorta Crawl that can trap even the most experienced spelunkers.

For more than four decades after its discovery in 1960, the cave was open to any and all comers, regardless of equipment, experience or training. But, as its popularity grew, so did the graffiti, the garbage, and the number of rescue calls. Between 1999 and 2004, six individuals became temporarily lodged in those tight chasms, forcing SITLA to close the cave in 2006.

It reopened last year under a management agreement between SITLA and the Timpanogos Grotto, a local chapter of the National Speleological Society. A reservation system was put in place, safety equipment was required, and the entrance was gated and locked to control access.

With the Grotto running the show, the cave was never safer, or, as it turned out, more deadly. Jones was Nutty Putty's first victim. But, thanks to quick action by SITLA, he will be the last.