Elevator failure at cripple creek mine leaves one dead, 12 trapped
A tragic accident occurred at the former gold mine in Cripple Creek, Colorado, now a tourist attraction. Due to an elevator failure, one person died, and 12 others were trapped underground.
11 October 2024 07:54
The incident took place at the Mollie Kathleen mine, located near the town of Cripple Creek. According to Teller County Sheriff Jason Mikesell, "serious technical problems" with the elevator occurred at a depth of about 300 metres.
He added that "one person lost their life due to the incident," without providing details of the accident. Shortly thereafter, 11 people were brought to the surface. The remaining group of 12 tourists waited for help for several hours.
Rescue operation at the Colorado mine. Tourists did not know what happened
Rescuers remained in constant contact with those trapped underground. They had access to water and blankets, and among them was someone with experience in mine rescue. Ultimately, the rescue operation was completed after six hours, and everyone was on the surface.
According to the Associated Press, several people had minor injuries, but the tourists' mental state was good. They were informed about what happened underground after the entire operation concluded.
End of the season
The accident happened at the end of the tourist season at the gold mine. The Mollie Kathleen was scheduled to close for the winter in a week. The last similar incident occurred in the 1980s.
Opened in the 19th century, the mine was commercially exploited until the 1960s. It is now a tourist attraction, offering visitors the opportunity to take an hour-long tour 30 stories underground, where they can see gold veins and ride an underground tram.
