Officials call death of Patrick Weier, 46, ‘Colorado tragedy’ but police say they do not know what caused his death
The person killed Thursday during an elevator malfunction at a former Colorado gold mine – which left 23 stranded underground – worked as a tour guide at the site, authorities said.
Authorities identified 46-year-old Patrick Weier of Victor, Colorado, as the victim who died. Weier’s survivors include a seven-year-old son, according to the Colorado Springs Gazette.
Weier was preparing to become a volunteer firefighter in his town of about 400, the newspaper reported. “Everybody will be in mourning when they realize who it is,” Victor’s mayor, Barbara Manning, reportedly said.
The local sheriff, Jason Mikesell, said he didn’t know specifically what happened – but he thought Weier “was attempting to make everybody safe,” ABC News reported.
“All I know is that he was a good man, and he loved his job,” Miskesell said at a news briefing.
