Colorado’s governor “breathed a sigh of relief” after a tourist was safely rescued from a mine at a depth of 300 meters

On Thursday, October 10, 2024, an elevator failure occurred at the Mollie Kathleen gold mine in Cripple Creek, resulting in the death of 1 person and the rescue of 23.

According to BBC, two groups of 12 people were touring the Criple Creek Gold Mine, a privately owned tourist attraction, when the elevator malfunctioned.

The rescue operation saved 11 people from the first group, including 2 children, but 1 tourist lost his life.

Hours later after the collision, the remaining 12 tourists were safely evacuated from the gold mine.

According to Criple Creek officials, an elevator heading toward the gold mine experienced a mechanical failure below the surface.

Teller County Sheriff Jason Mikesell said, “We had one fatality that occurred during this incident at 500 feet.” No further details were provided.

He cited that radio communication was used to contact the imprisoned.

Jason added that various agencies working with search and rescue teams provided heavy equipment in the event of an incident.

After the successful release of the tourists, Governor Jared Polis expressed relief, saying, “I am relieved that the 12 people trapped in the Mollie Kathleen Mine were safely rescued.”

According to the company’s official website, the elevator descends 1,000 feet down a shaft toward the southwest side of Pikes Peak.

Tourist activity has been conducted for 50 years.

It is worth noting that the last gold mine tour of the season is planned for this weekend.