The Teller County Sheriff’s Office has identified the man who died in Thursday’s accident at the Mollie Kathleen gold mine tourist attraction near Cripple Creek.
Patrick Weier, 46, was a tour guide at the mine and a Cripple Creek local. He is survived by a 7-year-old son. Officials described him as a respected member of the tight-knit mountain community.
“I know that he was a good man and he loved his job and he was a part of a mine safety crew,” Teller County Sheriff Jason Mikesell said.
Mikesell confirmed the name of the tour guide who was killed during a Friday press conference streamed by KRDO.
What caused the accident at the gold mine?
Officials have blamed the accident on a malfunction with an elevator in the abandoned gold mine, which advertises itself as a way for visitors to experience the history of the Old West and get an up-close look at “the world’s greatest gold camp.”
The elevator that apparently malfunctioned is not a typical elevator. State documents describe it as a traditional “cable lift mine shaft hoisting equipment.”
The two-minute ride and 1,000-foot drop were described as “cramped” and “longest two-minute elevator ride of my life” by mine enthusiast Heath Gay, who’d visited the mine before Thursday’s incident.
Officials say the mechanical failure occurred at about 500 feet inside the mine shaft, but did not give more information, citing an ongoing investigation.
Eleven people were rescued from that initial incident, including four people who sustained minor injuries. Another 12 people were left trapped in the mine for hours until rescue crews were able to inspect and fix the elevator.
Inside the mine rescue response
Officials had debated sending a team down the mine shaft as a “Plan B.”
The dozen people still stuck in the mine were not told about the fatality and injuries in the first party. Mikesell said crews decided to withhold that information to help keep the group calm.
“We made the ultimate decision not to tell them what was occurring at 500 feet. At the surface we knew that we couldn't get anybody down to them,” Mikesell said. “We knew that we couldn't help them if there was a medical emergency. We didn't tell the guide either. We didn't want anybody to be upset because if we'd have had an anxiety issue or a heart attack because of the stress of it, you are at 1,000 feet (down) and there's no way up until we get the elevator up and running – other than somebody on a ropes team to bring out everybody one at a time.”
Teller County Commissioner Dan Williams praised the rescue response.
“It's courage under fire is what it is,” Williams, who previously served in the armed forces, said. “I think with all of the interactions between both sides of the aisle in the political environment right now, this is one where everybody came together. It didn't matter which side of the aisle you sat on, we've had democratic senators reach out. We had Republican senators reach out. We had the White House reach out to talk to us about mental health concerns. If we needed anything, we had the governor reach out to us. Doesn't matter who anyone is or their political affiliations.”
Mine safety experts and OSHA are looking into the mine
Mine safety experts from the Colorado Department of Natural Resources' Division of Reclamation, Mining and Safety were dispatched to the tourist mine after the accident was reported.
Mikesell referred questions about the mine elevator’s inspection to the state.
The agency has not provided copies of permits and inspection reports requested by CPR News. Spokesperson Chris Arend said officials will release more information, including details on the role the state mining agency may have had in overseeing the operation “as the investigation unfolds.”
The federal Mine Safety and Health Administration has no jurisdiction over the mine or investigating the accident since it’s not an active mine and was being used as a tourist attraction, said U.S. Department of Labor spokesperson Frances Alonzo.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration is investigating the accident, but would not give any details about the probe until it’s completed. The agency declined to give a timeline for its investigation.
