CRIPPLE CREEK • One person died, four were injured and 23 rescued after an equipment malfunction during tours Thursday of the Mollie Kathleen Gold Mine in Cripple Creek, according to the Teller County Sheriff’s Office.
By 7:15 p.m., the 12 who had remained trapped for more than six hours at the bottom of the tourist mine on the east side of town wrapped up their 1,000-foot ascent to the surface after workers fixed a broken elevator. Eleven others were rescued shortly after the issue happened at 500 feet.
Rescue Operation and Aftermath
The Sheriff’s Office received a report shortly after noon that an elevator transporting visitors at the mine had malfunctioned and stopped at the midway point, said Jason Mikesell, the Teller County sheriff.
Officials don’t know what failed within the elevator trolley, or whether the people who were on the elevator were descending into the mine or coming up from a tour, Mikesell said.
Officials said they believed the fatality happened during the malfunction.
Officials said during a news conference in the evening after the rescue that all 12 were uninjured during the return to the surface, coming up four at a time using the elevator. The group was fed a meal of pizza, per their request, Mikesell said.
Officials confirmed all of the individuals were out-of-state tourists and were provided hotels for the night. None of them was made aware of the situation while they were stuck underground, other than being told of a “broken elevator.” Upon their ascent, officials said they were “grateful” they were not told.
Governor’s Response and Collaborative Effort
Gov. Jared Polis’ office released a statement Thursday night expressing relief for the safe rescue of the trapped individuals and offering condolences to the family of the deceased. Polis also thanked the various agencies involved in the rescue operation.
Those stuck at the bottom of the mine had blankets, chairs, water, and were in communication with responders at the top while stuck, officials said.
Officials didn’t say what went wrong with the elevator, but after inspection that no debris was blocking rails or cables, and a test run up and down, it was able to be used to bring all 12 individuals back up to safety.
Insight into the Mollie Kathleen Gold Mine
The Mollie Kathleen Gold Mine is a former gold mine turned into a tourist destination that takes guests on a vertical descent 100 floors below ground. Tours are done at 1,000 feet, but the elevator shaft is deeper than that.
The mine has two shafts and uses a hoist elevator, carrying nine to 15 people depending on overall weight, with a descent of 2 minutes and an ascent of 4 to 5 minutes.
The mine was named after Mollie Kathleen Gortner, the first woman in the Cripple Creek gold camp to discover gold in 1891. The website states that the mine closed in the 1960s but continued tours to maintain the mine.
Revenue from the tours is used to ensure the mine remains in safe operable mining condition.
Safety Measures and Past Incidents
According to Gazette archives, the mine has had mishaps in the past, including an unspecified incident in 1986, and elevator failures in 1994 that left visitors stranded. The state requires daily tests of tourist mines to ensure safety.
CRIPPLE CREEK • One person died, four were injured and 23 rescued after an equipment malfunction during tours Thursday of the Mollie Kathleen Gold Mine in Cripple Creek, according to the Teller County Sheriff’s Office.
By 7:15 p.m., the 12 who had remained trapped for more than six hours at the bottom of the tourist mine on the east side of town wrapped up their 1,000-foot ascent to the surface after workers fixed a broken elevator. Eleven others were rescued shortly after the issue happened at 500 feet.
Rescue Operation and Aftermath
The Sheriff’s Office received a report shortly after noon that an elevator transporting visitors at the mine had malfunctioned and stopped at the midway point, said Jason Mikesell, the Teller County sheriff.
Officials don’t know what failed within the elevator trolley, or whether the people who were on the elevator were descending into the mine or coming up from a tour, Mikesell said.
Officials said they believed the fatality happened during the malfunction.
Officials said during a news conference in the evening after the rescue that all 12 were uninjured during the return to the surface, coming up four at a time using the elevator. The group was fed a meal of pizza, per their request, Mikesell said.
Officials confirmed all of the individuals were out-of-state tourists and were provided hotels for the night. None of them was made aware of the situation while they were stuck underground, other than being told of a “broken elevator.” Upon their ascent, officials said they were “grateful” they were not told.
Governor’s Response and Collaborative Effort
Gov. Jared Polis’ office released a statement Thursday night expressing relief for the safe rescue of the trapped individuals and offering condolences to the family of the deceased. Polis also thanked the various agencies involved in the rescue operation.
Those stuck at the bottom of the mine had blankets, chairs, water, and were in communication with responders at the top while stuck, officials said.
Officials didn’t say what went wrong with the elevator, but after inspection that no debris was blocking rails or cables, and a test run up and down, it was able to be used to bring all 12 individuals back up to safety.
Insight into the Mollie Kathleen Gold Mine
The Mollie Kathleen Gold Mine is a former gold mine turned into a tourist destination that takes guests on a vertical descent 100 floors below ground. Tours are done at 1,000 feet, but the elevator shaft is deeper than that.
The mine has two shafts and uses a hoist elevator, carrying nine to 15 people depending on overall weight, with a descent of 2 minutes and an ascent of 4 to 5 minutes.
The mine was named after Mollie Kathleen Gortner, the first woman in the Cripple Creek gold camp to discover gold in 1891. The website states that the mine closed in the 1960s but continued tours to maintain the mine.
Revenue from the tours is used to ensure the mine remains in safe operable mining condition.
Safety Measures and Past Incidents
According to Gazette archives, the mine has had mishaps in the past, including an unspecified incident in 1986, and elevator failures in 1994 that left visitors stranded. The state requires daily tests of tourist mines to ensure safety.
