Two college students who disappeared during an expedition to scale Ice Mountain in Colorado’s Rocky Mountains have been found dead following a multiday search complicated by heavy snowfall. Kaden Matsuda, 19, of Ridgway, Colorado, and Jackson Donlon, 20, of Queensbury, New York, were located Wednesday afternoon in a basin on West Apostle Mountain in Chaffee County, authorities said. The two attended the Leadville campus of Colorado Mountain College. Ground and air teams discovered the bodies near each other at approximately 3:30 p.m. in a basin along West Apostle Mountain, according to local authorities.
The pair was originally reported missing after failing to return from their scheduled weekend venture. A mobilization of roughly 60 search-and-rescue personnel quickly deployed into the rugged wilderness, navigating deep snow drifts, ice layers, and challenging mountain terrain. Rescuers utilized a combination of specialized search dogs, aerial drones, and helicopters to survey the vast landscape before locating the campsite and subsequent tracks.
Investigators stated that search teams initially identified the hikers’ encampment, where sleeping bags remained inside an intact tent alongside buried footprints in the vicinity. While formal autopsy examinations will determine the precise cause of death, law enforcement officers confirmed that preliminary evidence indicates no signs of foul play, pointing instead to harsh weather exposure as an incoming storm front swept through the high-elevation peaks.
Chaffee County Sheriff Andy Rohrich commended the dedicated efforts of those involved in the search operations, reflecting on the tragic resolution and the difficult road ahead for loved ones. “Our heart aches for Kaden and Jackson’s family and friends,” Rohrich stated in a public update following the recovery. “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.”
Representatives from Colorado Mountain College extended gratitude to emergency responders and rescue volunteers who participated in the high-altitude operation. “We are extraordinarily grateful to the search and rescue professionals and volunteers who devoted themselves to finding Kaden and Jackson,” institution officials stated, adding that “CMC will leave information regarding the search and recovery to the Chaffee County Sheriff’s Office.”
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