Grand Canyon Caverns & Inn near Peach Springs, Arizona, was fined $6,250 and issued three citations from the state’s Division of Occupational Safety and Health after an elevator malfunction in October left tourists stranded for hours.
The Arizona Republic confirmed the details with ADOSH spokesman Trevor Laky:
ADOSH found a steep staircase at the caverns did not have proper handrailing, Laky confirmed on a call Friday morning.
The agency did checks on the site following a malfunctioning elevator leading to five tourists being stuck 210 feet underground at the caverns for several hours between Oct. 23 and 24, Laky confirmed.
Five people became stranded for more than 24 hours about 200 feet underground after the elevator at Grand Canyon Caverns malfunctioned.
A banner at the top of the caverns’ website stated that cavern tours were “currently unavailable,” but it did not elaborate.
Social media posts from Route 66 travelers indicated the elevator has remained non-functioning for months.
Walter Peck discovered the caverns in 1927 off Route 66 during a search for gold, then began charging admission to the site shortly after that. Peck initially named the site Yampai Caverns, then Coconino Caverns until 1957, and Dinosaur Caverns until 1962. In 1962, the owners settled on the Grand Canyon Caverns name.
A new entrance to the caverns was built by the Works Progress Administration and Civilian Conservation Corps in 1935. After the elevator was installed in 1962, the natural entrance was sealed off at the request of the Hualapai Indians because it was considered a sacred burial place.
Grand Canyon Caverns now is a multipronged attraction with a motel, RV park and even an airport.
(Image of the interior of Grand Canyon Caverns near Peach Springs, Arizona, by Thomas Hart via Flickr)