A tour guide was the lone death after an elevator malfunction inside a former Colorado gold mine turned popular tourist attraction trapped 23 people as far as 1,000 feet underground, authorities said Friday.
Patrick Weier, 46, was killed during the incident at the Mollie Kathleen Gold Mine in Cripple Creek, the Teller County Sheriff’s Office said.
Weier, a mine tour guide and resident of Cripple Creek, left behind a seven-year-old daughter.
“He was a good man,” Teller County Sheriff Jason Mikesell told reporters during a news conference Friday. “My feelings are that he was attempting to make everybody safe. I don’t know what occurred though. . . . But I do know that, for us and what it looks like, he may have been a hero from the beginning.
“Anytime you’re dealing with heavy machinery and 1,000-foot level, up to [the] 500[-foot] level in a mine, there could be accidents. And this was a tragic accident.”
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According to officials, the elevator inside the mine experienced a mechanical failure at about 500 feet around noon Thursday.
Details about the deadly incident remain under investigation by several agencies, including OSHA, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
“We are immensely grateful for the quick response of all the agencies involved and are holding everyone in our prayers,” said Cripple Creek Mayor Annie Durham.
Eleven people, including two children, who had been riding in the elevator were initially rescued. Four people sustained minor injuries including back pain, neck pain and arm pain, the sheriff said.
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Twelve other adults were trapped 1,000 feet below and were rescued roughly six hours later. They had access to water, blankets and used radios to communicate with authorities, who told them there was an elevator issue, Mikesell said. They were also fed pizza, which they requested, Mikesell said.
The family-owned mine will remain closed.
“We would like to send our prayers and condolences to everyone involved. We would also like to thank all of the first responders and emergency personnel who helped us through such a difficult time. The Mollie Kathleen will be closed until further notice,” its website states.
On Thursday, Colorado Gov., Jared Polis said he was “saddened to learn of the loss of a life in this tragic accident and my heart goes out to the family and loved ones during this difficult time.”
The mine opened in the 1800s and closed in 1961, before re-opening to conduct educational tours for the last several decades.
Its website describes a one-hour tour in which visitors descend 1,000 feet underground into a “safe, clean and dry” environment.
The mine was scheduled to host its last day of the season on Sunday.
Mollie Kathleen Gortner discovered the site of the mine in 1891, when she saw quartz laced with gold, according to the company’s website.
Thursday’s mishap wasn’t the first for the mine. Officials on Friday referred to an unspecified incident in 1986.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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