12 rescued after they were trapped in Colorado mine tourist attraction; 1 dead

Twelve people were safely rescued Thursday night after being trapped for hours at the bottom of a former Colorado gold mine when a lift malfunctioned at the tourist site, authorities said Thursday. One person died in the accident.

The lift was descending into the Mollie Kathleen Gold Mine near the town of Cripple Creek when it had a mechanical problem around 150 metres (500 feet) beneath the surface, creating a “severe danger for the participants”, and one person was killed, Teller County Sheriff Jason Mikesell said at a press conference.

The twelve adults who were trapped were about 305 metres (1,000 feet) below ground. They were safe and in communication with authorities while waiting, and were in good spirits after they were rescued, Mikesell said.

Authorities gave them pizza once they were out and told them everything that had happened. While at the bottom, authorities had only told them there was an elevator issue.

Mikesell said during a nighttime briefing that authorities do not know yet what caused the malfunction and an investigation is under way. Engineers worked to make sure the elevator was working safely again before bringing the stranded visitors back up.