Tour Guide Reportedly Falls out of Elevator; Officials Still Mum on Latest Report
Trevor Phipps
Following a shocking fatality at the Molly Kathleen Mine last October, an incident that commanded national attention, rumors have swirled surrounding what exactly led to this tragedy.
In the event’s aftermath, officials released little information surrounding the death of beloved Teller resident and tour guide Patrick Weier, who was extremely popular with attraction patrons and in the area. That still appears to be the case; but at the same time, more specific details are starting to emerge.
A recent report from the Teller County Sheriff’s Office only stated that Weier’s death was accidental and that it was a result of “operator error.” But since then, Associated Press (AP) and other media representatives filed a public information request for details of the investigation.
Now, more specifics pertaining to what may have gone wrong, are getting released.
According to a recent article compiled by AP and published in a number of media outlets, public records indicate that Weier passed away when he fell out of the mine’s elevator while it was in motion. The documents obtained by AP further noted that the tour guide failed to latch the door properly after entering a crowded elevator.
Surveillance video obtained during the investigation showed Weier entering the mine’s elevator with 12 tourists. However, the Teller County Sheriff’s Office’s report said that Weier had trouble squeezing himself into the elevator’s lower level due to it being very crowded.
One person suggested that he ride in the upper level, but the tour guide didn’t respond. Witnesses told authorities that Weier barely had enough room to reach his hand out to shut the door. Evidently, he was unable to get the door securely latched.
A few seconds after the dozen tourists began their 1,000-foot descent, passengers said the elevator began slamming into the side of the mine shaft. This frustrated Weier, who said things like “I can’t stop this,” according to an AP report. Debris was reportedly flying at the passengers. “Some lost their hard hats and, without much light, they had to rely mostly on sounds to try to make out what was happening, the AP reported.
The reports further stated that when the elevator got near the mine’s halfway point at about 500 feet, the door popped open and bent as it scrapped the elevator shaft. Weier rang the bell to stop the elevator, but he fell out of the door shortly after.
Investigators said that at that point, Weier had been trapped between the mine shaft’s wall and the elevator that was still in descent. The elevator eventually stopped, sending the tour guide’s body on top of a female passenger.
The other passengers then helped free the first passenger and another who was stuck by the bent door. Two women who were in the elevator at the time found a way out and started heading up the mine shaft on a ladder. These two have been hailed as the absolute heroes, who played a big role in facilitating the rescue. They were later honored by Sheriff Jason Mikesell.
The two said the ladder was breaking on them while they were making the 500-foot climb, but they were able to make it to safety at the top. Once they surfaced, the two notified mine staff about what had happened, prompting them to call for emergency services.
Mine staff was able to get the elevator up to save the passengers and retrieve Weier’s body. However, 12 tourists remained stuck in the bottom of the mine while the elevator’s door was in disrepair.
After a few hours, mine safety officials from across the state deemed the elevator safe. Officials then used the elevator to bring up the stranded tourists a few at a time after they had been stuck 1,000 feet underground for more than seven hours.
After the AP article was published, TMJ News reached out to Teller County Sheriff Jason Mikesell and asked him to comment on the article’s findings. But Mikesell said that he did not wish to make any further statements surrounding the event. In previous reports, owners of the Mollie Kathleen Mine also have not commented on the tragedy
In January, the Teller County Coroner reported that Weier suffered numerous traumatic injuries which caused his tragic death.
Late last year, state officials completed their investigation and removed their cease and desist order that forced the tourist mine to halt operations. Now that authorities have given the mine a green light, they are slated to be open for the 2025 tourist season.
However, at press time, there was not any reopening date officially set. On the Molly Kathleen Mine’s website, the front page showed a picture of Weier with a link to a GoFundMe page that people can use to donate to Weier’s son Anthony.
