Timeline behind yesterday's Cripple Creek gold mine rescue

CRIPPLE CREEK — According to the Teller County Sheriff's Office, the following events took place during yesterday's rescue operation.

• 12:00 p.m. Teller County Dispatch received a call requesting emergency assistance at the Mollie Kathleen Mine tourist attraction
• First responders arrived at the mine and determined that an elevator malfunction had taken place
• 12:45 p.m. Sheriff Jason Mikesell arrived at the mine and took command of the investigation. He received assistance from Cripple Creek Fire Chief Joe O'Connor and Southwest EMS Director Eric Murray.
  
  • 11 people (which included two children) had been on the elevator when it malfunctioned
  • 1 person (later confirmed by NBC News to have been a worker at the mine) lost their life
  • 4 of the people on the elevator sustained minor injuries (none of the children were injured)
    

    

• The 11 people on the elevator were able to be returned to the surface
  
  • The 4 injured individuals received medical attention for their minor injuries
  • All of the individuals from the elevator received mental health services
• Another group of 12 tourists plus a tour guide were notified that the elevator had malfunctioned and that they wouldn't be able to be brought to the surface until it was deemed safe
  
  • This group was stuck 1,000 feet below ground
• Technicians from the State of Colorado and the Cripple Creek and Victor Mining Company were on-site working on the elevator
  
  • If the elevator was unable to be fixed, there were rescue personnel from the area ready to execute a backup plan to retrieve the trapped people
    

    

  

  

• Governor Polis sends representatives to provide assistance
• 5:50 p.m. The technicians from the State of Colorado and the Cripple Creek and Victor Mining Company met with Sheriff Mikesell to give a detailed report on the status of the elevator
  

  

  

• 6:03 p.m. Sheriff Mikesell gave the go-ahead to begin the process of freeing those still trapped
  

  

• 6:08 p.m. The empty elevator was sent to the bottom of the shaft and brought back to the surface safely
  

  

  

• 6:20 p.m. The elevator was sent back to the bottom of the shaft with Mr. Hutchcraft inside
  
  Mollie Kathleen elevator sent down with Hutchcraft inside
  • The elevator was safely brought to the surface with four of those who had been trapped underground
    
    New video shows the moment trapped individuals were freed from Teller County gold mine
• 7:04 p.m. The last of the people who had been trapped underground were safely brought back to the surface
  
  • All 12 people were uninjured

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