Bodies of 2 missing college students found on Colorado mountain after heavy snow falls on area
Ice Mountain received one to two feet of snow, with some areas of the mountain seeing up to four feet due to drifting.
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CHAFFEE COUNTY, Colo. – The bodies of two college students were found on West Apostle Mountain in Colorado.
On October 26, the Chaffee County Sheriff's Office Dispatch Center received a call from staff at Colorado Mountain College Leadville Campus about two students who had not returned from a hike.
Kaden Matsuda, 19, of Ridgway, Colorado (left), and Jackson Donlon, 20, of New York (right), were found dead after hiking to Ice Mountain. (Chaffee County Sheriff's Office / FOX Weather)
Kaden Matsuda, 19, and Jackson Donlon, 20, departed the campus on Friday, October 23 for a hike in Chaffee County.
According to the Chaffee County Sheriff's Office, family and friends were interviewed, and it was learned that Kaden and Jackson planned on hiking Ice Mountain on the far north end of Chaffee County.
Deputies located Kaden’s vehicle at Mt. Huron trailhead.
Search and rescue teams work to find missing college students hiking to Ice Mountain. (Chaffee County Sheriff's Office / FOX Weather)
Friends told deputies that the duo planned on returning on Saturday if they did not feel safe, but would return Sunday if they were able to continue to Ice Mountain.
When deputies and search and rescue personnel arrived at their trailhead, they noted that there was about eight inches of snow on the ground.
"When the two ventured to the mountain, it would have been raining in the area. In fact, there were showers, on and off, for multiple days," deputies said.
On Saturday, however, there was a brief window where heavy snow started to fall, creating horrific road conditions in the area.
Ice Mountain received one to two feet of snow, with some areas of the mountain seeing up to four feet due to drifting.
Chafee County Search and Rescue were deployed to the area and began the search. The area of Ice Mountain and other near peaks were heavily searched by aircraft including multiple drones, helicopters and the multimission aircraft with infrared technology, but Kaden and Jackson were not located. Search dogs were also brought into the basin and trailhead to search for the hikers, but they were unsuccessful.
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About 50 searchers returned to the scene the following day. Shortly after 12:00 p.m., a helicopter spotted an object near Lake Ann, and a search team was sent in on foot to the area. The hiker’s tent was discovered and it had collapsed under the weight of the snow. No snow was present under the tent and there were no visible footprints, which suggested this was all in place before the snow came in. Kaden and Jackson's sleeping bags, a stove and some clothing were inside the tent, but the two were not located.
Search and rescue teams work to find missing college students hiking to Ice Mountain. (Chaffee County Sheriff's Office / FOX Weather)
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Search and rescue efforts continued Wednesday, with about sixty search and rescue members searching, a collective from Chaffee County North and South Search and Rescue, Fremont County Search and Rescue, Teller County Search and Rescue, Arapahoe County Search and Rescue, and Lake County Search and Rescue. Nearby Gunnison County Search and Rescue assisted with efforts on their side of the mountain, in case Kaden and Jackson returned on the other side.
Around 3:30 p.m. on Wednesday, in a basin of West Apostle Mountain in Chaffee County, Kaden and Jackson's bodies were found.
According to the Chaffee County Sheriff's Office, no foul play is suspected.
The two were found near each other.
"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. We ask that everyone give time and distance to family members and friends as they mourn their loss," Sheriff Andy Rohrich said in a statement.