1 person is dead and 12 are trapped in a former Colorado gold mine
By JESSE BEDAYN and MATTHEW BROWN
Posted 10/10/24
Authorities say one person is dead and 12 are trapped in a former Colorado gold mine after an elevator malfunctioned at the tourist site. Teller County Sheriff Jason Mikesell said Thursday the …
You must be a member to read this story.
Join our family of readers for as little as $5 per month and support local, unbiased journalism.
Current print subscribers can create a free account by clicking here
Otherwise, follow the link below to join.
To Our Valued Readers –
Visitors to our website will be limited to five stories per month unless they opt to subscribe. The five stories do not include our exclusive content written by our journalists.
For $6.99, less than 20 cents a day, digital subscribers will receive unlimited access to YourValley.net, including exclusive content from our newsroom and access to our Daily Independent e-edition.
Our commitment to balanced, fair reporting and local coverage provides insight and perspective not found anywhere else.
Your financial commitment will help to preserve the kind of honest journalism produced by our reporters and editors. We trust you agree that independent journalism is an essential component of our democracy. Please click here to subscribe.
Need to set up your free e-Newspaper all-access account? click here.
Non-subscribers
Click here to see your options for becoming a subscriber.
Register to comment
Click here create a free account for posting comments.
Note that free accounts do not include access to premium content on this site.
I am anchor
1 person is dead and 12 are trapped in a former Colorado gold mine
Emergency personnel stage outside the Mollie Kathleen Gold Mine in Cripple Creek, Colo., Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, after one person died in an equipment malfunction during a tour of the mine according to the Teller County Sheriff's Department. Twelve other people remained trapped 500 feet below as of 4:30 p.m. (Arthur Trickette-Wile/The Gazette via AP)
Posted
By JESSE BEDAYN and MATTHEW BROWN
DENVER (AP) — One person is dead and 12 are trapped in a former Colorado gold mine after an elevator malfunctioned at the tourist site, authorities said Thursday.
The elevator descending into the Mollie Kathleen Gold Mine near the town of Cripple Creek had a mechanical issue around 500 feet (152 meters) beneath the surface, creating a “severe danger for the participants” and one person was killed, Teller County Sheriff Jason Mikesell said at a press conference.
Twelve people are still at the bottom of the mine, which is about 1,000 feet (305 meters) beneath the surface. They are in safe conditions and in communication with authorities, said Mikesell. Rescuers are working to get the elevator back online.
Mikesell declined to identify the victim or say how they died.
The sheriff said they could rescue the trapped group by rope if necessary, but were hoping to get the elevator system working.
Mikesell said the last time there was an incident was 1986.
Gov. Jared Polis said in a statement that the state was sending resources for the rescue effort.
“We will do everything possible and assist the county to ensure a speedy and safe resolution of the situation,” said Polis.
The mine opened in the 1800s and was closed in the 1960s but still operates tours. The mine's website describes a one-hour tour in which visitors descend 100 stories into the earth. It says visitors can see veins of gold in the rock and ride an underground tram.
Cripple Creek is a town of about 1,100 people located southwest of Colorado Springs.