“Operator Error” to Blame for Deadly Elevator Mishap in Colorado Mine

“Operator error” rather than an equipment malfunction was the cause of an October 10, 2024, elevator mishap at the Mollie Kathleen Gold Mine in the mountains near Colorado Springs, Colorado, in which a 46-year-old male tour guide died, outlets including the Times-Union report, citing the Associated Press. The Teller County Sheriff’s Office said little else about the investigation into what caused the incident at the former mine, now a popular tourist attraction, other than saying the mine met state regulations. The malfunction occurred at approximately 500 ft down when the operator stopped the unit when he “felt something strange.” Those on board were brought back up within 20 min, but 12 adults at the bottom of the mine were trapped approximately 1,000 ft down for roughly 6 h while engineers checked the system. The case has been ruled an accident and closed.