One person was killed and 12 people were rescued after being trapped for about six hours at the bottom of a former Colorado gold mine when an elevator malfunctioned at the tourist site, authorities said.
The elevator was descending into the Mollie Kathleen Gold Mine near the town of Cripple Creek when it had a mechanical problem around 500 feet (152 meters) beneath the surface, creating a “severe danger for the participants,” Teller County Sheriff Jason Mikesell said.
The 12 adults who were trapped about 1,000 feet (305 meters) below ground had access to water and used radios to communicate with authorities, who told them there was an elevator issue, Mikesell said.
The selectively sparse details make me wonder what happened. From what I can infer, the elevator’s travel is 1000 feet. It malfunctioned at 500 feet. Presumably it didn’t crash 500 feet or there would be far more people dead and many serious injuries. Most elevators have numerous mechanisms to prevent sudden drops even if the cable snaps. An elevator is SIGNIFICANTLY more likely to cause injury by flying UP then crashing down.
I’m wondering if an already unstable someone with claustrophobia didn’t go absolutely bonkers, start hurting people, and was murdered. Six hours in a small room with water is hardly a life-threatening crisis. Some people work daily in worse conditions.
Who knows, but I’m assuming something went down in that elevator considering how the details of the injuries and death are specifically omitted.