1 dead, 4 injured and 12 people trapped in Colorado gold mine after elevator malfunction

Katie Langford, The Denver Post on Oct 10, 2024

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DENVER — One person is dead, four people are injured and 12 are trapped underground in a Colorado gold mine on Pikes Peak after an elevator malfunction, according to the Teller County Sheriff’s Office.

The sheriff’s office was responding to an equipment malfunction at the Mollie Kathleen Mine, a tourist attraction near Cripple Creek, as of 2 p.m., agency officials said in a post on Facebook.

Emergency crews are trying to determine what went wrong with the elevator system in order to safely rescue the 12 people currently stuck 1,000 below the surface, Teller County Sheriff Jason Mikesell said at a briefing. Eleven people have been rescued from the mine so far.

First responders also have other rescue options available, Mikesell said. He declined to provide further details about the person who died, but said the four people hurt sustained minor injuries.

Gov. Jared Polis is “closely monitoring” the situation and state emergency personnel are on scene responding with more on the way, the governor’s office said in a news release.

“The state is assisting Teller County and sending resources to rescue those inside the mine. We will do everything possible and assist the county to ensure a speedy and safe resolution of the situation,” Polis said in a statement.

The now-defunct mine offers hourlong tours by taking visitors 1,000 feet down the shaft into the southwest side of Pikes Peak, according to the tour company’s website.

The mine has offered tours in some format since it opened in the 1890s, with mine tours becoming the main focus after production ceased in 1961.

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