1 dead, 23 rescued from tourist gold mine in US state of Colorado

By Darren Lyn

HOUSTON, US (AA) - One person died in a tourist gold mine in the US state of Colorado on Thursday after an apparent equipment malfunction in the mine's elevator shaft left two dozen people stranded 1,000 feet (304 meters) underground, according to news outlets.

The tourists, who were all visiting from out of state, descended into the Mollie Kathleen Mine in Cripple Creek, about 114 miles (183 kilometers) south of Denver, when the elevator equipment malfunctioned, stranding them at the bottom of the mine shaft.

The death was a "tragic accident," Teller County Sheriff Jason Mikesell told reporters at a news conference.

"Accidents happen when dealing with this kind of machinery," said Mikesell of the elevator malfunction.

The other 23 people trapped inside the mine were rescued by emergency crews, with several of the visitors reported to have suffered minor injuries, including neck and back pain. The sheriff's department has not yet revealed the cause of death of the person who died.

Mikesell said his department will conduct a full investigation to find out exactly what happened. They are currently working to contact the deceased victim's family to notify them about the accident.

Initially, 11 people, including two children, were rescued from about halfway down the mine shaft, about 500 feet (152 meters). However, the other 12 people remained stuck at the bottom until rescue crews returned for them about six hours later. They were given pizza, water and blankets and were in communication with responders the entire time until they were retrieved from the bottom of the mine shaft, according to emergency officials.

Those 12 "came up very safely," said Mikesell, adding they were all in "good spirits" despite being traumatized by the ordeal.

Mikesell said the owner of the mine was "instrumental" in making sure the equipment was inspected for safety before the elevator was able to bring everyone back up above ground.

Colorado Gov. Jared Polis said he was "relieved" that the people trapped were safely rescued, while offering condolences to the victim's family. He also thanked emergency and rescue crews for their "swift response and tireless efforts."

"Thanks to this collaborative effort, each of these individuals will return home safely," he said.

The last time an incident like this happened was nearly 40 years ago, back in 1986, according to emergency officials. Several people were trapped and then rescued from the mine shaft, but no one died in that situation.