Emergency personnel stage outside the Mollie Kathleen Gold Mine in Cripple Creek, Colo., on Oct. 10, 2024, after one person died in an equipment malfunction during a tour of the mine according to the Teller County Sheriff's Department. Twelve other people remained trapped 500 feet below as of 4:30 p.m.Arthur Trickette-wile/The Associated Press
Twelve people were safely rescued Thursday night after being trapped for hours at the bottom of a former Colorado gold mine when an elevator malfunctioned at the tourist site, authorities said Thursday. One person died in the accident.
The elevator was descending into the Mollie Kathleen Gold Mine near the town of Cripple Creek when it had a mechanical problem around 500 feet (150 meters) beneath the surface, creating a “severe danger for the participants,” and one person was killed, Teller County Sheriff Jason Mikesell said at a news conference.
The twelve who were trapped were about 1,000 feet (305 meters) below ground. They were safe and in communication with authorities while waiting, and were in good spirits after they were rescued, Mikesell said. Authorities gave them pizza.
The elevator accident was reported to authorities at about noon, the sheriff said. He declined to identify the victim or say how they died. Two children were involved but it was unclear if they were among those who were trapped.
Eleven people who were riding the elevator were rescued earlier, Mikesell said. Four had minor injuries. The sheriff did not elaborate on how they were injured or the nature of the elevator’s mechanical problems.
During the ordeal, authorities communicated with the trapped group with radios. They had access to water, and the atmosphere was considered good.
Among those trapped was a member of the family mining operation who has mine rescue experience, Mikesell said.
The elevator ride typically takes about two minutes, travelling 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 but did not say what had happened.
Mines operated as tourist attractions in Colorado must designate someone to inspect the mines and the transportation systems daily, according to the state Division of Reclamation, Mining and Safety. Mikesell said he didn’t know the date of the last inspection. Records of the inspections weren’t immediately available online.
Gov. Jared Polis said earlier that the state was sending resources including a mine rescue team.
Cripple Creek is a town of about 1,100 in the Rocky Mountains southwest of Colorado Springs.
The mine opened in the 1800s and closed in 1961, but still operates tours. Its website describes a one-hour tour in which visitors descend 1,000 feet. It says they can see veins of gold in the rock and ride an underground tram.
A woman named Mollie Kathleen Gortner discovered the site of the mine in 1891 when she saw quartz laced with gold, according to the company’s website.