A news release from the Colorado Division of Reclamation, Mining and Safety announced Thursday that prior safety inspections of the Mollie Kathleen Gold Mine raised no concerns before the fatal accident last week.

According to previous Gazette reporting, on Oct. 10 one person died and several people became stuck at the bottom of the Mollie Kathleen Gold Mine in Cripple Creek after an elevator malfunction.

Patrick Weier, 46, a resident of Victor and a tour guide at the mine, died as a result of an elevator malfunction, according to the Teller County Sheriff’s Office.

On Thursday, the Division of Reclamation, Mining and Safety, the government body in charge of safety inspections at tourist mines in Colorado, issued a news release stating that the mine’s most recent inspection took place Aug. 29.

“Before the incident, inspection reports from DRMS Mine and Safety Training Program for the Mollie Kathleen Mine were satisfactory, with inspectors finding no observed violations or hazards,” the news release states.

Additionally, the release notes that tourist mines are required to conduct daily inspections, a record of which must be made available for inspectors to examine the current and immediately preceding years.

When asked by The Gazette if the daily inspections were taking place at the mine prior to the incident, Division of Reclamation, Mining and Safety spokesman Chris Arend said that question had yet to be answered and was part of the agency’s investigation.

“Confirmation of the records of the daily inspection at the Mollie Kathleen Mine is included in the ongoing and yet-to-be-completed review by the Division,” Arend said.

Due to the accident, the department issued a cease and desist letter to the owners of the Mollie Kathleen Gold Mine forbidding them from reopening until the review is complete. The Mollie Kathleen Gold Mine was slated to close for the season last Sunday.

“There is no ‘standard protocol’ for this type of incident,” Arend said. “However, if DRMS determines that there is imminent or substantial danger to the public or employees, DRMS may issue an immediate cease and desist order.”

The update from the Division of Reclamation, Mining and Safety came on the same day a processional and memorial were held in Cripple Creek to honor the life of Weier.

The Mollie Kathleen Gold Mine is the only tourist mine in the state that uses a personnel hoist as its elevator, according to the release.

A records request from The Gazette for copies of inspection reports at the Mollie Kathleen Gold Mine have yet to be fulfilled at the time of writing.

At a news conference after the accident the Teller County Sheriff’s Office stated that it is investigating a broken door in the elevator as the cause of the fatality.