Tour Guide Killed After Elevator Fails Underground at Colorado Gold Mine: Sheriff

Authorities said a tour guide died at a Colorado gold mine after a mechanical failure occurred in an elevator hundreds of feet underground, trapping more than a dozen tourists for several hours.

Hikers became stranded at the Mollie Kathleen gold mine in Cripple Creek on Thursday, officials said.

The deceased victim was identified Friday as Patrick Weier, 46, who was one of the mine’s guides, Teller Counter Sheriff Jason Mikesell said.

“This is a tragedy for the county. This is a tragedy in Colorado,” Teller County Commissioner Dan Williams said at a news conference Friday.

Mikesell said he didn’t know exactly what happened, but believed Weier was “trying to keep everyone safe” during the incident.

“All I know is that he was a good man and he loved his job,” Mikesell said at a news conference Friday.

Mikesell said Weier left behind a 7-year-old boy.

The incident, which involved an elevator carrying visitors to and from the mine, occurred around noon MDT Thursday at a depth of about 500 feet underground, Mikesell said.

Officials said that eleven people were initially taken out of the mine by elevator, including Weier and two children. The services reported that four adults traveling in the elevator were also injured.

Twelve other people, as well as another guide who were already on the trip, were rescued after about six hours of being trapped at the 1,000-foot level, officials said.

Mikesell said the cause of the crash is still under investigation.

“We know that the problem occurred at an altitude of 150 meters. We know there was some incident with the door and at that point something went wrong,” Mikesell said. – We don’t know what caused it.

The Health and Safety Executive and the Mines Safety Authority will investigate the incident.

Mikesell said the death was related to mechanical, not medical, problems.

Local hospital UCHealth said it admitted seven patients as a result of the incident, all of whom have since been treated and released.

To rescue the 12 people and a guide who were still stuck at 300 meters, engineers had to repair the elevator, which was stuck at 1,500 meters, check the cables and then conduct a test round, sending it to the 300-meter level and back to the top, officials said. .

According to Mikesell, the mine owner went with inspectors to confirm the elevator was safe to descend, while the owner’s son operated the lifting system to lower it.

“Without their help, we may not have been able to get people out of there,” Mikesell said, calling them “heroes.”

Mikesell said after the test was successful, four trapped adults were recovered. Officials said the last group was moved out around 7 p.m. ET.

Because the people were stuck, there was no concern that they would run out of oxygen, Mikesell said, adding that they had water, chairs and blankets and could communicate with rescuers.

None of the people stuck at 1,000 feet were aware of what was happening and didn’t think it was a “normal elevator problem,” Mikesell said. After the fatality was rescued, they were informed, he added.

Rhonda Pulse, who was among the tourists stuck at the bottom of the mine for several hours, told ABC News that their guide “did a very good job of distracting them while they waited.”

“It was a little uncomfortable the whole time we were there, but there was no panic,” she said.

Pulse said that when tourists learned of Weier’s death, “tears flowed.”

“We just felt sorry for the family of the deceased man and the company itself because it is a family business and the deceased man worked for the company and for a long time,” she said. “There were children involved, so it’s heartbreaking.”

The mine, approximately 300 meters deep, is a popular tourist site. Mikesell said there hasn’t been an incident like this there since 1986.

“The owner of this mine and the family that has been behind it for many, many years have done a great job keeping it safe,” Mikesell said. “They send thousands of people to this mine on tours and with very, very few safety concerns. However, whenever you’re dealing with heavy machinery… accidents can happen in a mine. And it was a tragic accident. “

Multiple agencies, including search and rescue teams, responded to the incident using heavy equipment.

Mikesell said he received calls about the incident from senators, Colorado’s governor and the White House.

As part of the rescue effort, Colorado Gov. Jared Polis said he was monitoring the situation and deploying state resources to help.

“I am relieved that the 12 people trapped in the Mollie Kathleen Mine were safely rescued,” Polis said in a statement Thursday evening. “We offer our deepest condolences to the family and friends of the person who died in this incident.”