Two College Students Found Dead After Hiking in Colorado
Kaden Matsuda and Jackson Donlon were reported missing after departing Colorado Mountain College for a hike near Ice Mountain.
Deputies discovered the bodies of Kaden Matsuda, 19, and Jackson Donlon, 20, in a mountain basin on West Apostle Mountain in Colorado's Chaffee County. Both students were enrolled at the Colorado Mountain College Leadville campus.
Matsuda, of Ridgway, Colorado, and Donlon, of Queensbury, New York, had departed campus for a hike near Ice Mountain on Friday, Oct. 23. They were reported missing by the college on Monday, Oct. 26.
Their bodies were found on Wednesday, Oct. 28, near one another. The Chaffee County Sheriff's Office stated that foul play is not suspected.
Search efforts involved approximately 60 volunteers from six counties who navigated treacherous trails and deteriorating weather conditions. Aerial crews spotted the students' collapsed tent near Lake Ann on Tuesday, Oct. 27.
A timeline released by investigators indicates the students departed campus during rainy weather on Friday. A heavy snowstorm struck the area between 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 24, causing severe road hazards. Their planned return dates were Saturday or Sunday, depending on whether they reached the summit.
Matsuda's vehicle was located by deputies at a trailhead near Winfield, Colorado, on Monday.
Sheriff Andy Rohrich expressed condolences to the families, stating, "Our heart aches for Kaden and Jackson’s family and friends. We are very proud of our team’s efforts to find them before this weekend’s coming storm. Although this is a gut punch, our prayers were answered that we would find Kaden and Jackson, allowing some closure for the family."
The remains have been sent to the Chaffee County Coroner’s Office for autopsies. The investigation into their deaths is ongoing.