(TELLER COUNTY, Colo.) — The Teller County Sheriff’s Office (TCSO) detailed the rescue of 23 people from the Mollie Kathleen Mine after an elevator malfunction on Thursday, Oct. 10.
TCSO said that, at around noon on Thursday, a call was made requesting help at the Mollie Kathleen Mine tourist attraction near Cripple Creek. When first responders arrived they determined a malfunction happened in the elevator that brings visitors in and out of the mine. No instability was created in the mine itself.
The elevator had 11 people on board when the malfunction happened at 500 feet below the surface. TCSO said as a result of the malfunction one person lost their life, and four people were injured. The elevator was able to return the 11 people to the surface. 12 people along with a tour guide, who were already on the tour 1,000 feet below, were notified of a malfunction with the elevator and that they would be brought back up to the surface when the elevator was deemed safe.
TCSO Sheriff Jason Mikesell arrived at the mine at around 12:45 p.m. and took command of the incident along with Cripple Creek Fire Chief Joe O’Conor. Other officials that responded included; Senator Mark Baisley and Teller County Commissioners Dan Williams, Erik Stone, Bob Campbell, and County Administrator Ross Herzog. The community leaders and representatives from Governor Jared Polis’ Office provided coordination and support on-site.
Technicians from the State of Colorado and the Cripple Creek and Victor Mining Company worked on the elevator to make it safe to rescue the 12 tourists and the tour guide. If the elevator could not be used, rescue personnel from the area were ready to execute their plan to bring them to the surface.
At around 5:50 p.m. technicians met with Sheriff Mikesell to give a report on elevator readiness, at 6:03 p.m. Sheriff Mikesell gave the go-ahead to begin the rescue of the people in the mine.
The elevator was run empty to the bottom and returned safely. At 6:20 p.m. the elevator descended with State of Colorado Chief Conveyance Inspector and Conveyance Program Manager David Hutchcraft to begin the rescue of the people. The rescue finished at 7:04 p.m. and all 12 people in the mine were safe and uninjured.
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