One dead, 12 rescued as elevator malfunctions at Colorado gold mine
DENVER, Colorado: An elevator malfunction at the bottom of a former Colorado gold mine, which is now a tourist site, resulted in the death of one tourist, while 12 others were rescued after about six hours.
Teller County Sheriff Jason Mikesell said the elevator developed a mechanical problem around 500 feet (152 meters) beneath the surface while descending into the Mollie Kathleen Gold Mine near the town of Cripple Creek, creating a “severe danger for the participants.”
The cause of the visitor’s death was not immediately provided.
Mikesell said the 12 adults who were trapped about 1,000 feet (305 meters) below ground had access to water and used radios to communicate with authorities.
Authorities do not know the cause of the malfunction, and it is being investigated. Engineers brought the stranded visitors back up after repairing the elevator. They had even brought rope to pull the visitors up if they could not fix the elevator.
Mikesell declined to identify the victim.
The incident happened during the final week of the Mollie Kathleen Gold Mine season before it shuts down for the winter.
Earlier in the afternoon, while the 12 were stuck at the bottom, 11 other people who were riding the elevator were rescued. Four had minor injuries, but the sheriff did not elaborate on how they were injured.
The elevator ride typically takes about two minutes, traveling about 500 feet (152 meters) per minute, according to the mine’s website.
Mikesell said the last time there was an incident was in the 1980s when a couple of people were trapped on the elevator. Nobody died in that incident.
Cripple Creek is a town of about 1,100 residents in the Rocky Mountains southwest of Colorado Springs.
The mine opened in the 1800s and closed in 1961, but it still operates tours.
According to the company’s website, Mollie Kathleen Gortner discovered the mine in 1891 when she saw quartz laced with gold.