1 person died in accident at Mollie Kathleen gold mine in Teller County, 12 people still trapped

Updated on Thursday, October 10, 2024 at 7:09 p.m

One person died in an accident at a tourist mine in Teller County. Another four people were injured and twelve people are still trapped about 300 meters underground. There are also children there.

Eleven people have already been rescued from the Mollie Kathleen gold mine near Cripple Creek.

Officials say there was an equipment malfunction in the mine's elevator, which goes underground for about two minutes. From there, tourists can walk about a quarter of a mile through underground terrain, according to the tour operator's website.

The mine did not collapse.

Teller County Sheriff Jason Mikesell said officials would first try to get the elevator running. If necessary, “Plan B” is to send a Colorado Springs Fire Department rescue crew down the shaft.

“They’re 1,000 feet deep. That means it's a long tightrope walk, right? If we have to, we can pull people up on these ropes,” he said. “But it also puts these first responders at risk of doing this because you’re falling way down a tunnel, right?”

“So we want to make sure the tunnel is safe. We want to make sure the shaft is in good condition. We want to make sure all of these things are working well,” he said.

Dan Boyce/CPR News

Mikesell says crews are trying to keep those still trapped calm. One person stuck at the bottom of the elevator shaft is from the tour party and is also a former mine rescue worker. According to Mikesell, no one in the remaining trapped group knows anyone is dead or injured

“They really have no idea that we have a bigger problem upstairs than what they're being told is the elevator,” he said. “And that's really because I want to reassure people because I can't get them out until I get something down there.”

The state also deployed personnel and resources to assist, including a field manager from the Department of Homeland Security and a mine rescue team from the Department of Natural Resources. The state emergency call center was also activated.

“I have spoken with the Teller County Sheriff and county commissioners and will remain in touch as this rescue operation progresses,” Gov. Jared Polis said in a statement. “We will do our utmost to support the district in ensuring a quick and safe resolution of the situation.”

Dan Boyce/CPR News

The Mollie Kathleen Mine was discovered in 1891.

Tours have been conducted at the mine since the 1930s. And while mining operations ceased in 1961, the tours continued. Most recently they were offered seasonally from May to mid-October and included a one-hour walk.

“The Molly Kathleen Gold Mine Tour is probably the best mine tour I've ever done in the state of Colorado,” Heath Gay, a gold mining enthusiast, told CPR News. “And I have attended several mine tours throughout the state over the years. It's absolutely fantastic. It is the only vertical shaft gold mining tour in the state, if not the country.”

Courtesy of Heath Gay

According to state documents, the mine tours attracted visitors “worldwide” for daily tours between April and October. Operators told the state that the public could access the mine using conventional “rope lift mineshaft hoists.”

“It's tight. “You’re packed like sardines,” Gay said. “It's the longest two-minute elevator ride I've ever taken in my life. It's mostly in the dark. And you’re really crammed in there with some people.”

Hart Van Denburg/CPR News

“Mollie Kathleen’s tour operator offers a rare glimpse into Colorado’s mining history,” state documents say. “And since a deep shaft tour operation is both rare and particularly susceptible to ventilation and other problems. Our tour level is an underground museum of Colorado mining history, mechanics and tools.”

In 2016, tour operators wrote to state regulators raising concerns about “structural stability” due to the expansion of a major mine nearby. Tour operator Dewey-Dwight & Associates LLP wrote to the state Division of Reclamation, Mining and Safety to inform them “of ongoing issues regarding potential disruptions to the safety and structural stability of the Mollie Kathleen Mine that could be the unintended consequence of the operation .” neighboring or nearby properties. These concerns focus on: ventilation, structural stability, airflow control and most importantly, public safety.”

It is unclear how these concerns were addressed. The state Division of Reclamation, Mining and Safety did not return requests for comment. CPR News reached out to state mining regulators for comment, but we have not yet heard back.

“Every time I ride in this cage, it’s hard not to think about getting stuck or being rescued,” Gay said.

CPR's Bazi Kanani contributed reporting.

Editor's Note: We have updated the dates tours began at the mine based on new information from government documents.