Twelve people have been rescued from a former Colorado gold mine after an elevator malfunction left one person dead, four injured and trapped the group underground, authorities said on Thursday.
The group had been stuck for hours on Thursday as officials tried to determine how to safely rescue them. Colorado governor Jared Polis confirmed Thursday evening that everyone had been brought out of the mine.
The elevator at the Mollie Kathleen gold mine, which is now a tourist site, near the town of Cripple Creek, experienced a mechanical issue around 500ft (152m) beneath the surface. The malfunction created a “severe danger for the participants”, killing one person and injuring four others, Jason Mikesell, the Teller county sheriff, said.
The victim who died and 10 other people, including the injured, were brought out of the mine, but a group remained at the bottom, about 1,000ft (305m) deep, for several hours.
First responders were trying to figure out how the elevator malfunctioned so they could safely rescue those trapped inside the mine, the Denver Post reported. Mikesell said there were other options for rescues than the lift, such as bringing up the trapped by rope, but that officials hoped to get the elevator back online. The last similar incident was in 1986, Mikesell said.
Authorities were in communication with the trapped group via radios, but they were not initially told the extent of the problem with the elevator, according to Mikesell, who added, “That’s because I want to keep people calm.” They had access to water and the atmosphere was considered good, he said.
Among those trapped was a member of the family mining operation who has mine rescue experience, Mikesell said.
Polis, praised first responders for their “tireless efforts”. “I am relieved that 12 of the people trapped in the Mollie Kathleen mine have been safely rescued,” he said in a statement. “Our deepest condolences to the family and friends of the individual lost in this incident.”
Mollie Kathleen gold mine opened in the 19th century but closed in the 1960s. The former mine now offers tours.
The mine’s website said that the tour lasts approximately one hour. Visitors travel 100 stories downward into the earth.
The mine claims that tour participants can see bands of gold in the rock. There is also an underground tram.
“Entering the mine is comparable to riding an elevator,” the website states. The ride down the shaft is two minutes, at a speed of 500ft per minute, or approximately 5mph.
“This may seem fast, however, many modern elevators travel up to 23mph,” the mine’s website said.
After visitors descend the mine, they walk approximately a quarter of a mile, ride the tram, and walk more before returning to the surface.