Search and rescue crews in Chaffee County, Colorado, have recovered the bodies of two Colorado Mountain College students who vanished while hiking near Ice Mountain outside Leadville.
The Chaffee County Sheriff’s Office confirmed that Kaden Matsuda, 19, of Ridgway, Colorado, and Jackson Donlon, 20, of Queensbury, New York, were found dead in a mountain basin on West Apostle Mountain on Wednesday. Both men were students at Colorado Mountain College’s Leadville campus.
Deputies say the pair left campus on Friday, Oct. 23, to hike near Ice Mountain. They were reported missing by the college on Monday, setting off a multi-day search effort across difficult terrain.
According to the Sheriff’s Office, the two men’s bodies were found near one another, and investigators say foul play is not suspected.
The search drew roughly 60 search and rescue volunteers from six different counties, who worked through treacherous trails and worsening weather to locate the missing students. Investigators posted updates on the operation on social media as it unfolded, piecing together a possible timeline of the students’ hike.
Sheriff Andy Rohrich addressed the outcome of the search in a statement:
“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 students’ remains have been sent to the Chaffee County Coroner’s Office for autopsies. The investigation into the circumstances of their deaths is ongoing.
Colorado Mountain College has not yet responded to a request for comment on the deaths.
