One person di3d and 23 others were saved after an elevator malfunctioned at a closed Colorado gold mine.
Two parties of 12 people were touring the Mollie Kathleen Gold Mine in Cripple Creek, a privately owned tourist attraction, when it failed on Thursday, trapping one group underneath for six hours.
One person di3d in the first group, while the remaining 11 tourists, including two children, were recovered from the mine, four of whom suffered minor inj_ries. Later in the day, all twelve members of the second group were safely repatriated.
According to the tour company’s website, the hour-long excursion descends 1,000 feet (305 meters) down the shaft into the south-west side of Pikes Peak.
Officials said the lift descending into the gold mine encountered a mechanical problem about 500 feet beneath the surface, posing a “serious risk to the participants.”
“We had one fatality during this incident at 500 feet,” Teller County Sheriff Jason Mikesell stated earlier. He did not provide any details.
“There is an elevator issue to resolve before they could be brought up,” Sheriff Mikesell told reporters. Rescue personnel used radios to connect with the 12 other miners who were trapped near the bottom.
“They have chairs, blankets, water, and are at a safe temperature,” Sheriff Mikesell explained. “This was the result of an equipment malfunction. “The mine did not collapse.
Several authorities, including search and rescue teams, responded to the situation using heavy equipment. Hours later, Governor Jared Polis stated, “I am relieved that 12 of the people trapped in the Mollie Kathleen Mine have been safely rescued.”
According to the tour company’s website, entering the 1890s gold mine is like riding in a lift, replete with the sounds of mining machinery.
According to the Mollie Kathleen website, visitors can observe many exposed gold veins in their natural state.
According to the website, revenue from the trips is used to “maintain the mine in safe operable mining condition”.
