Malfunction at Historic Gold Mine in Colorado Leaves 1 Dead and a Dozen Trapped

An equipment failure at the Mollie Kathleen Gold Mine near Cripple Creek stranded 12 people underground during a tour.

A rescue operation at a historic gold mine in Colorado was underway on Thursday evening after an equipment malfunction during a tour left one person dead and a dozen people trapped 1,000 feet below ground, the authorities said.

The Teller County Sheriff’s Office received a report around noon local time that an elevator transporting visitors at Mollie Kathleen Gold Mine near Cripple Creek had malfunctioned and stopped at the midway point, according to Jason Mikesell, the Teller County sheriff.

It is unclear exactly what failed within the elevator trolley, or whether the people who were on the elevator at the time were going down into the mine or coming up from a tour, Sheriff Mikesell said. Officials believe the fatality happened during the malfunction. Four other people had minor injuries.

Eleven people who were in the elevator were rescued, Sheriff Mikesell said.

The authorities were investigating whether the elevator was safe to use to continue rescuing the remaining 12 people trapped at the bottom, Sheriff Mikesell said. A tour guide who the authorities said was an experienced former mine rescue worker was among those at the bottom.

The authorities said that the mine itself did not collapse.

Local and state emergency workers, including a state elevator engineer, were helping with rescue efforts. Backup plans include using rope to rescue the 12 people, though the authorities hope they can get the elevator system back online.

“We have the best people in the country that are here working on this issue right now, and my hope is that we can have it resolved tonight,” Sheriff Mikesell said at a news conference just before 4:30 p.m.

The 12 people at the bottom of the mine are aware of the elevator problem, Sheriff Mikesell said. They have chairs, blankets and water, and are communicating with the authorities using radios.

The last time a similar episode occurred was in 1986, Sheriff Mikesell said. He did not elaborate.

Mollie Kathleen Gold Mine stopped operating as a working mine in 1961 but has become a tourist attraction, where miners guide visitors on tours 1,000 feet below the earth’s surface, according to its website. Visitors can see “exposed gold veins in their natural state,” the website says.

Gov. Jared Polis of Colorado said in a statement that he had spoken with local officials and was sending state resources to assist in the recovery efforts.

“We will do everything possible and assist the county to ensure a speedy and safe resolution of the situation,” Mr. Polis said.

The mine was named after Mollie Kathleen Gortner, the first woman in the Cripple Creek Gold Camp to strike gold in 1891.

Cripple Creek, a town of about 1,100 people, is about 20 miles southwest of Colorado Springs.