One person died and 23 others were rescued after an elevator malfunction buried them hundreds of feet underground at the Mollie Kathleen Gold Mine, a tourist attraction in Cripple Creek, Colorado, officials said Thursday.
Around noon Thursday, the mine had a mechanical malfunction with its elevator system, causing “a severe danger for the participants,” Teller County Sheriff Jason Mikesell said during a news conference. The cause of the occurrence is still under investigation.
“Accidents happen when dealing with this kind of machinery,” Mikesell told me.
Eleven people were recovered earlier Thursday, and a dozen others who had traveled from out of state were stranded at the bottom of the 1,000-foot-deep mine for about six hours until being rescued Thursday night.
“I am relieved that 12 individuals trapped in the Mollie Kathleen Mine have been safely rescued. “Our heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of the person killed in this incident,” Colorado Gov. Jared Polis said in a statement Thursday night.
According to Mikesell, two of those rescued were minors, and four were treated by medical professionals for minor injuries. He did not disclose information on the fatality.
Mikesell stated that the 12 people were confined in freezing conditions of roughly 50 degrees Fahrenheit (10 degrees Celsius). They had water, blankets, seats, and a radio. According to the tour website, facilities such as restrooms were not provided underground.
“We are thrilled to hear that all 12 people who were still inside the Mollie Kathleen Gold Mine have been safely rescued,” the Colorado Springs Fire Department announced in a social media statement on Thursday night. “We appreciate the efforts of the first responders who safeguarded the safety of those remaining inside. Our condolences to the family that lost a dear one today; please keep them in your prayers.
The guy who died as a result of the elevator mishap was named Patrick Weier, 46, according to Mikesell. CNN station KCNC said that Weier worked as a tour guide at the mine. He has a 7-year-old child, was an active member of the community, and “will be missed,” according to Mikesell.
According to Mikesell, Weier’s body was retrieved when the first group was transported up an elevator after becoming stuck halfway down the 500-foot shaft. It is unknown what happened at 500 feet, according to the sheriff, but they know “there was some type of incident with the doors and at that point, something went wrong.”
“Any time you’re dealing with heavy machinery in a mine there could be accidents and this was a tragic accident,” Weier told reporters.
During a news conference, the sheriff burst into tears as he described the “traumatic” scenario and its consequences, particularly on youngsters. “It’s one of those things you tear up a little bit when you’re dealing with kids that have to go through these types of things.”
To rescue the final batch, inspectors labored to guarantee that the elevator would work correctly so that they could carry them up four at a time, Mikesell said.
“We did have a briefing with them to explain to them what was happening because they were in this tunnel and didn’t know that any of this was going on,” Mikesell told me.
The mine, which has been a family-owned tourist attraction for “well over 50 years,” had its most recent disaster in 1986, according to Mikesell. In that catastrophe, two persons were trapped in an elevator, but no one was killed.
The one-hour trip, which takes passengers through the 1890s gold mine, “is not claustrophobic, but, the descent in the shaft is very close for 2 minutes (each way),” according to the tour website.
According to the website, after riding down the elevator at roughly 5 mph, passengers take a short ride on an underground train car before continuing on foot for a quarter mile of flat and level walking and learning how gold mining worked. Guests are given protective caps and instructed to leave personal goods such as walkers and wheelchairs behind during the trip.
The attraction was slated to close for the season this weekend and reopen in May.