Colorado Gold Mine Where Tour Guide was Killed and Tourists Trapped Ordered Closed by Regulators

By  COLLEEN SLEVIN

DENVER (AP) — A former Colorado gold mine where a tour guide was killed and a group of tourists was trapped for hours after an elevator accident has been ordered to remain closed and not conduct tours while its operations are reviewed, state regulators said Thursday.

In a statement, the Division of Reclamation, Mining and Safety said the decision to close the Mollie Kathleen Mine was made following an inspection after the Oct. 10 incident. The agency must determine if the death of Patrick Weier, 46, was a result of the mine not complying with regulations, division spokesperson Chris Arend said.

The official notice sent to the mine on Wednesday cited a regulation that allows the division to shut down a mine used as a tourist attraction if it finds an “imminent or substantial danger” to workers or the public. The mine had already been set to close for the winter starting this week.

No one answered the telephone at the mine on Thursday. Its website said it would be closed until further notice.

Authorities have not explained exactly how Weier died, but Teller County Sheriff Jason Mikesell has said his death was related to a mechanical issue with the elevator and not a medical problem.

Before the incident, the mine’s inspection records were “satisfactory,” and records did not show any safety problems, the mining division said in announcing the closure. The mine was last inspected by the state on Aug. 29, but the mine was responsible for conducting daily inspections, the agency said.

The Mollie Kathleen is the only tourist mine that has an elevator used by the public, the division said.

It was descending into the mine in the mountains near Colorado Springs when, at around 500 feet (152 meters) down, the person operating the elevator from the surface “felt something strange” and stopped it, Mikesell said.

Eleven other people, including two children, who were riding the elevator during the mishap were brought up with it following the accident.

Twelve adults from a second group were trapped at the bottom of the mine, 1,000 feet (305 meters) below ground, while engineers made sure the elevator could be used. The group had access to water and used radios to communicate with authorities, who told them there was an elevator issue, Mikesell said.

The incident is being investigated by Mikesell’s office and the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration, part of the U.S. Department of Labor, the mining division said. In a statement, the Labor Department said the agency has six months to complete its probe and does not discuss details of an ongoing inspection.

The mining division said it was also prepared to help in the investigations.