One dead and 23 rescued after elevator malfunction at Colorado gold mine

One person died and 23 others were saved after an elevator malfunctioned at a closed Colorado gold mine. Two parties of 12 people were touring the Mollie Kathleen Gold Mine in Cripple Creek, a privately owned tourist attraction, when it failed on Thursday, trapping one group underneath for six hours. One person died in the first group, while the remaining 11 tourists, including two children, were recovered from the mine, four of whom suffered minor injuries.

Later in the day, all twelve members of the second group were safely repatriated. Officials said the lift descending into the gold mine encountered a mechanical problem about 500 feet beneath the surface, posing a “serious risk to the participants.” “We had one fatality during this incident at 500 feet,” Teller County Sheriff Jason Mikesell stated earlier. He did not provide any details.

“There is an elevator issue to resolve before they could be brought up,” Sheriff Mikesell told reporters. Rescue personnel used radios to connect with the 12 other miners who were trapped near the bottom. “They have chairs, blankets, water, and are at a safe temperature,” Sheriff Mikesell explained. “This was the result of an equipment malfunction. “The mine did not collapse.

Several authorities, including search and rescue teams, responded to the situation using heavy equipment. Hours later, Governor Jared Polis stated, “I am relieved that 12 of the people trapped in the Mollie Kathleen Mine have been safely rescued.” According to the tour company’s website, entering the 1890s gold mine is like riding in a lift, replete with the sounds of mining machinery.

According to the Mollie Kathleen website, visitors can observe many exposed gold veins in their natural state. According to the website, revenue from the trips is used to “maintain the mine in safe operable mining condition”. Officials said the previous “incident” occurred there in 1986, but they could not disclose any additional information.

On TripAdvisor, numerous individuals described the lift as a “cage” for miners. The posts, which the BBC could not verify, stated conditions could be tight and claustrophobic. According to William Snare, a former mine hoist operator, the lift could accommodate nine to fifteen passengers. He said it took two minutes to descend and four to five minutes to go back to the surface. The mine is named after Mollie Kathleen Gortner, the first woman to strike gold in Cripple Creek in 1891. The tours were slated to finish for the season on Sunday.