Colorado gold mine: One dead after tourist site's lift fails

Rescue efforts are under way after lift malfunction at tourist site

Emergency personnel outside the Mollie Kathleen Gold Mine in Cripple Creek, Colorado, on October 10. AP

One person is dead and 12 are trapped in a former gold mine in Colorado after a lift malfunctioned at the tourist site, authorities said on Thursday.

The lift descending into the Mollie Kathleen Gold Mine near the town of Cripple Creek had a mechanical problem about 152 metres under the surface, creating a “severe danger for the participants”, Teller County Sheriff Jason Mikesell told reporters.

Twelve people are still at the bottom of the mine, which is about 305 metres below the surface. They are in safe condition and in communication with authorities, the sheriff said. Rescuers are working to get the lift back online.

Sheriff Mikesell declined to identify the victim or say how they died. Two children were involved but it was unclear if they were among those trapped. Eleven people involved in the lift incident were rescued and four of them had minor injuries, he said.

The sheriff said rescuers could remove the trapped group by rope if necessary, but were hoping to get the lift safely working. The state was sending an expert to the scene.

“We want to inspect it, make sure it’s safe before bringing them back up with it,” Mr Mikesell said. “We do have a plan B and a plan C already set in place with rescue officers.”

Authorities were communicating with the trapped group by radio but they had not been told the extent of the problem with the lift, according to Mr Mikesell. “That’s because I want to keep people calm.”

Among those trapped was a member of the family mining operation who has pit rescue experience, Mr Mikesell said.

Responders are trying to assess if the damage done to the lift could lead to another failure before they send it back down.

Colorado Governor Jared Polis said 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,” Mr Polis said in a statement.

The mine opened in the 1800s and was closed in the 1960s but still operates tours. Its website describes a one-hour tour in which visitors descend 100 storeys 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, south-west of Colorado Springs.