Authorities were communicating with the trapped group with radios, but the group had not been told the extent of the problem with the elevator, according to Mikesell, who added, “That’s because I want to keep people calm.” The group had access to water and the atmosphere was considered good.
Among those trapped was a member of the family mining operation who has mine rescue experience, Mikesell said.
Responders were trying to assess if the damage done to the elevator could lead to another failure before they send it back down. The elevator ride typically takes about two minutes, travelling about 152 metres per minute, according to the mine’s website.
Mikesell said the last time there was an incident was in the 1980s but did not say what had happened.
Cripple Creek is a town of about 1100 people located in the Rocky Mountains southwest of Colorado Springs.
The mine opened in the 1800s and closed in 1961, but still operates tours. Its website describes a one-hour tour in which visitors descend 1,000 feet into the earth. It says they can see veins of gold in the rock and ride an underground tram.
A woman named Mollie Kathleen Gortner discovered the site of the mine in 1891 when she saw quartz laced with gold, according to the company’s website.
AP
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