Two college students died when a climbing anchor they were using failed, causing them to fall a significant distance, authorities announced Tuesday.
Kaden Matsuda, 19, and Jackson Donlon, 20, suffered fatal blunt force injuries when the anchor gave way, according to the Chaffee County Sheriff’s Office and coroner’s office. Their bodies were discovered in a snow-filled basin on West Apostle Mountain.
Officials stated that while the pair had backups, the primary anchor experienced a “catastrophic failure.” It remains unknown why the anchor failed, though the recent heavy snowstorm was not identified as a direct cause. The sheriff’s office commended the students for their preparedness and love of the outdoors.
Matsuda and Donlon, who were students at Colorado Mountain College's Leadville campus, had embarked on a weekend climbing trip. They initially intended to ascend Ice Mountain but appeared to change their objective to West Apostle Mountain, a peak with an elevation of 13,597 feet.
Donlon was rappelling from an anchor point on a rock when the failure occurred. Matsuda was connected to the same anchor system at the time of the incident.
“While their lives were far too short, they spent their final moments together surrounded by the majestic beauty of Chaffee County’s high peaks that they loved,” Chaffee County Sheriff Andy Rohrich said in a statement. “There is also relief knowing neither of them suffered.”
Colorado Mountain College, with multiple campuses in the Colorado Rockies, offers programs focused on the outdoor recreation industry, including mountaineering and guiding.
Matsuda, a resident of Ridgway, Colorado, was studying to become a wildland firefighter. Donlon, originally from Queensbury, New York, was an avid climber and skier studying outdoor recreation leadership.
The area where the students were climbing is known for its high-altitude terrain, with Leadville, the nearest city, situated at 10,119 feet above sea level.