One dead and 23 rescued from Colorado gold mine after lift malfunction left tourists trapped underground

Officials reported that the lift experienced a mechanical issue around 500 feet below the surface.

One person has died, and 23 others were rescued after a lift broke down at a former mine in Colorado - trapping some underground for six hours.

Two groups were touring the privately-owned tourist site at Mollie Kathleen Gold Mine in Cripple Creek in the US when the incident occurred.

In the first group, one individual tragically lost their life, while the remaining 11 tourists, including two children, were rescued, with four sustaining minor injuries.

The second group of 12 people were stranded in a tunnel at the bottom of the mine but were safely brought to the surface later that day.

According to the tour company's website, the hour-long tour of the Mollie Kathleen Gold Mine takes visitors 1,000 feet (305 meters) down a shaft on the southwest side of Pikes Peak.

Officials reported that the lift experienced a mechanical issue around 500 feet below the surface, posing "severe danger for the participants."

Teller County Sheriff Jason Mikesell confirmed: "We did have one fatality that occurred during this issue at 500 feet. There was an elevator issue that had to be resolved before they could be brought up."

Rescue teams communicated with the 12 individuals stuck near the bottom of the mine using radios. Sheriff Mikesell assured reporters: "They have chairs, blankets, water, and are at a safe temperature. This was due to an equipment malfunction. The mine did not collapse."

Multiple agencies, including search and rescue teams equipped with heavy machinery, responded to the emergency.

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Later, Governor Jared Polis expressed relief, stating: "I am relieved that 12 of the people trapped in the Mollie Kathleen Mine have been safely rescued."

The tour company’s website describes the experience of entering the 1890s gold mine as similar to riding in a lift, complete with the sounds of mining machinery. Visitors can see several exposed gold veins in their natural state, and the website mentions that revenue from the tours helps "maintain the mine in safe operable mining condition." Officials said the last recorded "incident" at the mine was in 1986, though details were not provided.

On TripAdvisor, some users described the lift as a miner's "cage," with several posts mentioning tight, claustrophobic conditions.

William Snare, a former hoist operator at the mine, told the Colorado Springs Gazette that the lift could carry between nine and 15 people. He explained that it took two minutes to descend and four to five minutes to return to the surface.

The mine was named after Mollie Kathleen Gortner, the first woman to strike gold in Cripple Creek in 1891. The tours were scheduled to close for the season this Sunday.

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