Teller County Sheriff’s Office identified man who died in Mollie Kathleen incident

TELLER COUNTY, Colo. (KRDO) - The elevator at the Mollie Kathleen Gold Mine is functioning again and rescuers have safely brought up the 12 people who were trapped 1,000 feet down in the mine, according to the Teller County Sheriff's Office (TCSO).

On Oct. 12, the elevator experienced a mechanical failure at 500 feet. One person died and 4 were injured in that initial incident.

Another group of 12 was on a tour and couldn't use the elevator to come to the surface. This left them stuck 1,000 feet underground for hours.

Officials confirmed that everyone was rescued safely and no further injuries were reported.

In total 23 people were rescued. 11 from the group that was in the elevator when the incident occurred, and 12 people in the group that was trapped underground.

46-year-old Patrick Weier died in the incident, according to TCSO. He is survived by a 7-year-old child and is a Cripple Creek-Victor local. He was a tour guide at the mine. TCSO says that at 500 feet there was an issue with the elevator door that contributed to his death.

The exact details of his death are still under investigation.

The Mollie Kathleen Gold Mine released the following statement on their website.

Recently the Mollie Kathleen experienced a tragic event.

We would like to send our prayers and condolences to everyone involved.

We would also like to thank all of the first responders and emergency personnel who helped us through such a difficult time.

The Mollie Kathleen will be closed until further notice.

Mollie Kathleen Gold Mine Website