1 dead and 23 rescued after elevator issue at Colorado tourist mine left some trapped 1,000 feet underground for 6 hours

KKTV, TELLER COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE, CNN

By Jeff Winter, Sarah Moon and Dalia Faheid, CNN

(CNN) — One person has died and 23 people have been rescued after an elevator malfunction trapped them hundreds of feet underground at the Mollie Kathleen Gold Mine, a tourist mine in Cripple Creek, Colorado, officials said Thursday.

At around noon Thursday, the mine experienced a mechanical issue 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 incident remains under investigation.

“Accidents happen when dealing with this kind of machinery,” Mikesell said.

Eleven people were rescued earlier Thursday, and a dozen more people who came from out-of-state were trapped at the bottom of the 1,000-foot-deep mine for about six hours before being rescued Thursday night.

“I am relieved that 12 of the people trapped in the Mollie Kathleen Mine have been safely rescued. Our deepest condolences to the family and friends of the individual lost in this incident,” Colorado Gov. Jared Polis said in a statement Thursday night.

Among those rescued, two were children and four were seen by medical personnel for minor injuries, according to Mikesell, who did not provide details on the fatality.

As the 12 people were stuck in cold temperatures around 50 degrees F (10 degress C), they had water, blankets, chairs and a radio, Mikesell said. Facilities like restrooms, however, weren’t available underground, according to the tour website.

“We are thrilled to hear all 12 people who were still inside the Mollie Kathleen Gold Mine have been safely rescued,” the Colorado Springs Fire Department said in a social media post Thursday night. “We’re grateful for the work of all first responders who ensured the safety of those still inside. Our condolences go out to the family who lost a loved one tonight, please keep them in your prayers.”

Patrick Weier, 46, was identified as the person who died after the elevator malfunction, Mikesell said. Weier, was a tour guide at the mine, CNN affiliate KCNC reported. He had a 7-year-old child, was a local community member and “will be missed,” Mikesell said.

Weier’s body had been recovered when the first group was brought up an elevator after being stuck halfway down the shaft at 500 feet, according to Mikesell. It is unclear what exactly occurred at 500 feet, the sheriff said, 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 said.

The sheriff teared up during a news conference while describing the “traumatic” situation and its impact on the children especially. “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 last group, inspectors worked to ensure that the elevator was going to work properly so that they could bring them up on it 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 said.

The mine – a family-owned tourist attraction for “well over 50 years” – last experienced an accident in 1986, Mikesell said. In that accident, two people were trapped in an elevator, but no fatalities were reported.

The one-hour tour – an entirely underground experience that takes guests through the 1890s gold mine – “is not claustrophobic but, the descent in the shaft is very close for 2 minutes (each way),” the tour website states.

After going down the elevator at a speed of about 5 mph, guests take a short ride on an underground rail car, then continue on foot for a quarter mile of flat and level walking and are shown how gold mining worked, according to the website. Guests are provided hard hats and are told to leave personal items like walkers and wheelchairs behind during the tour.

The attraction was scheduled to close for the season this weekend before opening back up in May.

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CNN’s Lucy Kafanov and Brad Parks contributed to this report.