An incident at a former Colorado gold mine that killed a man and trapped a group of tourists for hours underground in 2024 was caused by “operator error,” authorities said.
Investigators determined that the incident at the Mollie Kathleen Gold Mine near the town of Cripple Creek was “not attributed to current mine practices or equipment malfunctions,” the Teller County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement Wednesday. The sheriff’s office also ruled that the death of Patrick Weier , 46, a tour guide at the mine, was accidental.
The incident occurred on Oct. 10, 2024, and it was initially believed to have been caused by an elevator malfunction that “created a severe danger” for a tour group, according to Teller County Sheriff Jason Mikesell. State and local authorities responded to the site and rescued 11 people, including two children and four people who sustained minor injuries, with a trolley system…