Investigators were trying to figure out what caused the Colorado Mine Elevator Accident at a gold mine in Colorado. The accident killed one person and injured or trapped 12 others.
“The elevator was still operational and the occupants were brought up within 20 minutes. An elevator door broke as it was going up. We don’t know if the door broke or if something else happened. A lot of things happen in these little elevators. We just know that the door broke somehow.”
The man who died was Patrick Weir, 46, of Victor. The exact circumstances of his death have not been released, but the sheriff’s office said he died from a mechanical problem with the elevator and not from a medical issue. The other victims suffered injuries to their head, neck, legs and back.
“Most of the people who were in the elevator when it broke down were later transported to a local rescue center,” said Ted Borden, of the Caring Community Foundation in Cripple Creek.
“Elevator accidents in mines are very rare,” said Steven Shafrick, an associate professor of mining engineering at the University of Kentucky. He said elevators have been used by industry to transport people and materials since the mid-1800s, and modern elevators are equipped with safety devices that prevent them from falling if the cable breaks.”
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Mines that operate as tourist attractions in Colorado are required to designate someone to inspect the mine and its transportation systems daily. Changes were made to the Colorado mine elevator accident in 1988 after the mine was under new ownership, according to the mine’s website. The website says a second car, which could carry nine people, was suspended under the existing elevator and a new motor was installed to handle the increased weight.
The incident was investigated by local and state officials, along with the U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. “The incident, which was reported to authorities around noon, occurred during the final week of the Molly Catlin gold mine season before it closed for the winter,” Mikesell said.
The mine’s owners issued a statement Friday expressing their condolences and thanking emergency responders. They said the mine would be closed until further notice. The mine is in Cripple Creek, a town of about 1,100 people southwest of Colorado Springs. It opened in 1800 and closed in 1961, but it has become a popular tourist attraction.
Source:
https://apnews.com/article/colorado-former-gold-mine-death-3ff210f97a9c046bd09499c3c6ef8272
