Colorado mine sent cease & desist letter after tour guide death

The Colorado Division of Reclamation, Mining and Safety sent a cease and desist letter to the owners of the Mollie Kathleen Gold Mine in Cripple Creek. The mine in Teller County is where a tour guide died in an accident last Thursday.

Patrick Weier, 46, lived in Victor and left behind a 7-year-old son. The accident that caused Weier's death happened 500 feet underground on an elevator in one of the mine's shafts. Four others were injured with what were described as minor injuries.

Another group of tour visitors was further underground at the time, and they were temporarily trapped due to concern about the elevator's safety. After about 6 hours they were brought up to the surface following inspections of the mine shaft elevator system.

Two of the eleven on the elevator at the time of the accident were children.  

On Thursday, friends and family gathered to remember Weier. 

"He was always there for everybody, always had a smile on his face. You'd never forget about him," said one person at his memorial service. 

According to the Colorado DRMS, the letter prohibits the mine from reopening until the ongoing review of the operation has been completed. Before the incident, inspection reports from the Mine and Safety Training Program for the mine were satisfactory, according to the Department of Natural Resources. 

The Teller County Sheriff's Office said the cause of the crash is being investigated by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration and the Mine Safety and Health Administration.