12 people trapped in a Colorado gold mine after a fatal equipment failure left one person dead

On By Yukito

Top line

Twelve people were rescued from a tourist gold mine in Colorado on Thursday evening after an elevator malfunction earlier in the day trapped them about 1,000 feet underground, leaving one person dead.

Key facts

Visitors to the Mollie Kathleen gold mine in Cripple Creek, Colorado, were aboard an elevator about 500 feet below ground level when it malfunctioned, Teller County Sheriff Jason Mikesell told reporters.

One person died, and a short time later, 11 other people who were riding in the elevator were rescued – four of them suffered minor injuries.

Twelve other people who had already used the elevator to reach the mine were left trapped below – 300 meters below the surface – for almost six hours.

Authorities rescued the stranded guests, bringing them back four at a time, after inspectors made sure the malfunctioning elevators were “functioning properly,” Mikesell told reporters late in the evening; none of the twelve stranded tourists were injured and no details have yet been released about the person who died.

Mikesell said those trapped in the mine accompanied the worker and had access to chairs, water and blankets.

Colorado Gov. Jared Polis said in a statement Thursday that state and local authorities were on the scene, adding that they would make every effort “to ensure a quick and safe resolution of the situation.”

Receive text alerts with breaking Forbes news: we are launching SMS notifications so that you will always know the most important stories that will appear on the front pages of newspapers. Text “Alerts” to (201) 335-0739 or sign up here.

How will they be freed if they are trapped in the mine?

Authorities are trying to find out what happened to the elevator and whether it can be safely used to lift the stranded people, with rope teams from the Colorado Springs Fire Department being considered as an emergency plan, according to Mikesell.

Key background

The Mollie Kathleen Gold Mine, located about a two-hour drive south of Denver, offers visitors an hour-long tour that extends to a depth of 1,000 feet below the surface. According to the mine’s website, the mine was established in the 1800s and closed in the 1960s when its owners decided that proceeds from tours would be used to maintain the mine in case it could one day be used to produce gold again. The website also recommends that visitors bring jackets suitable for temperatures around 50 degrees. Mikesell said there has been no incident at the mine since 1986.

Further reading

1 dead, 12 trapped 300 meters underground after equipment failure at Teller County mine (ABC Denver)

One person dead, dozens more trapped in Colorado tourist mine after equipment failure (Denver Gazzette)