1 killed, 23 rescued at Colorado gold mine tourist site where elevator malfunctioned

DENVER —  One person died and 12 people were rescued Thursday night after being trapped for about six hours at the bottom of a former Colorado gold mine when an elevator malfunctioned at the tourist site, authorities said.

Eleven others were rescued earlier, four of whom were injured, officials said.

The elevator was descending into the Mollie Kathleen Gold Mine near the town of Cripple Creek when it had a mechanical problem about 500 feet beneath the surface, creating a “severe danger for the participants,” Teller County Sheriff Jason Mikesell said.

The cause of the vistor’s death was not provided.

The 12 adults who were trapped were about 1,000 feet below ground, but they had access to water and the atmosphere was considered good. They were safe and in communication with authorities with radios while waiting, Mikesell said.

They were in good spirits after they were rescued, and authorities gave them pizza once they were out and told them everything that had happened, he said. While at the bottom, authorities had told them only that there was an elevator issue.

Mikesell said during a nighttime briefing that authorities do not know yet what caused the malfunction and an investigation is underway. Engineers worked to make sure the elevator was working safely again before bringing the stranded visitors back up on it. They had been prepared to bring them up by rope had they not been able to get the elevator fixed.

Mikesell declined to identify the victim who died.

The incident occurred during the final week of the Mollie Kathleen Gold Mine season before it shuts down for the winter, Mikesell said.

Earlier in the afternoon — while the 12 were stuck at the bottom — 11 other people who were riding the elevator were rescued. Four had minor injuries; the sheriff did not elaborate.

The elevator ride typically takes about two minutes, traveling about 500 feet per minute, according to the mine’s website.

Mikesell said the last time there was an elevator problem was in the 1980s, when a couple of people were trapped. Nobody died in that incident.

Mines that operate as tourist attractions in Colorado must designate someone to inspect the mines and the transportation systems daily, according to the state Division of Reclamation, Mining and Safety. Mikesell said he didn’t know the date of the last inspection. Records of the inspections weren’t immediately available online.

Colorado Gov. Jared Polis sent state resources, including a mine rescue team.

Cripple Creek is a town of about 1,100 in the Rocky Mountains southwest of Colorado Springs.

The mine opened in the 1800s and closed in 1961, but still operates tours. Its website describes a one-hour tour in which visitors descend 1,000 feet. It says they can see veins of gold in the rock and ride an underground tram.

A woman named Mollie Kathleen Gortner discovered the site of the mine in 1891 when she saw quartz laced with gold, according to the company’s website.

Bedayn and Brown write for the Associated Press and reported from Denver and Billings, Mont., respectively.