TRAGIC LOSS: TWO COLORADO COLLEGE STUDENTS FOUND DEAD AFTER MOUNTAIN HIKING TRIP

Two young friends who shared a passion for the outdoors were found in a snow-covered mountain basin after a days-long search in dangerous winter conditions.

A hiking trip in the Colorado mountains has ended in tragedy after two college students were found dead following several days of searching.

Kaden Matsuda, 19, and Jackson Donlon, 20, were students at Colorado Mountain College’s Leadville campus. The friends left campus on Friday, October 23, planning a weekend hiking trip in Chaffee County.

They were initially expected to return by Saturday or Sunday. When they failed to come back and family and friends could no longer reach them, they were reported missing on Monday, October 26.

The Chaffee County Sheriff’s Office launched a search involving dozens of rescue personnel, helicopters, drones and search dogs.

On Wednesday, October 28, at approximately 3:30 p.m., search teams located both young men in a basin on West Apostle Mountain. They were found near one another.

Their bodies were recovered the following day with helicopter assistance after difficult weather conditions complicated the operation.

A SEARCH THROUGH SNOW AND DANGEROUS TERRAIN

The students had originally told friends they planned to hike Ice Mountain, a technical peak reaching nearly 14,000 feet.

Investigators later considered the possibility that they had changed their plans and headed toward West Apostle Mountain instead.

The search became increasingly challenging as heavy snowfall covered the terrain. Authorities said the area had received up to two feet of snow, with some locations experiencing even deeper accumulations because of drifting.

On Tuesday, October 27, searchers discovered the students’ tent collapsed beneath the snow near Lake Ann. Their sleeping bags, stove and some clothing were still inside, but the two men were nowhere to be found.

Approximately 60 search-and-rescue volunteers and specialists took part in the operation. Helicopters, drones and canine teams were also used as crews searched the difficult mountain landscape.

TWO YOUNG MEN WITH DREAMS FOR THE FUTURE

Kaden was studying wildland firefighting, while Jackson was pursuing outdoor recreation leadership.

Both shared a strong interest in the outdoors. Jackson was also described as an experienced climber and skier.

Their deaths have left classmates, faculty members and the wider Colorado Mountain College community grieving.

In a statement, the college said it was devastated by the loss and expressed its condolences to the students’ families, friends and everyone who knew them.

Ben Cairns, the college’s Leadville vice president and campus dean, said the young men had come to the school to learn, explore and build their futures.

“Their lives were full of promise, and their loss is felt deeply by the students, faculty and staff who knew them,” he said.

AUTHORITIES WAIT FOR ANSWERS

The Chaffee County Sheriff’s Office said foul play was not suspected.

However, officials stressed that they would not offer theories about what happened until autopsies could be completed. The circumstances and causes of the deaths remained under investigation in the latest reports.

Sheriff Andy Rohrich expressed his condolences to the families and thanked the rescue teams who worked to locate the missing students.

He also asked the public to give their loved ones time and space to grieve.

For two families, what began as a weekend adventure has ended in an unimaginable loss.

Kaden and Jackson were young men with plans, ambitions and a shared love of the mountains. Their lives ended far too soon, leaving a college community and everyone who loved them mourning two futures that will never be lived.