2 Colorado college students found dead after going missing during hike

Two Colorado college students have been found dead after going missing during a hiking trip in the Rocky Mountains, according to police.

The Chaffee County Sheriff’s Office said that the bodies of Kaden Matsuda, 19, and Jackson Donlon, 20, were found “near each other” at 3:30 p.m. local time on Wednesday “in a basin of West Apostle Mountain in Chaffee County.”

“Foul play is not suspected, and we will not offer theories as to what may have happened until an autopsy can be completed,” the department said.

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A detailed investigation will be completed in partnership with the Chaffee County Coroner’s Office, according to police.

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“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,” Sheriff Andy Rohrich said in a statement.

“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,” Rohrich added.

The students left the Colorado Mountain College Leadville Campus for the hike on Oct. 23 and were reported missing around 10 a.m. local time on Oct. 26 by college staff after they didn’t return to campus, the Chaffee County Sheriff’s Office previously said.

“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. Typically, hikers planning this hike would drive near Winfield (County Road 390) and access Mt. Huron trailhead. Deputies responded to the trailhead and located Kaden’s vehicle,” police added.

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Matsuda and Donlon’s friends had said that they planned on returning from the hike on Oct. 24 if they didn’t feel safe. If they continued on with the hike of Ice Mountain, their friends said they would have returned on Oct. 25.

Matsuda and Donlon were both experienced hikers and sent their friends a text with a map plot that pinpointed Ice Mountain as their destination, according to police.

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“When deputies and search and rescue personnel arrived at the trailhead and located Kaden’s vehicle, they noted that there was about eight inches of snow on the ground but none under the vehicle,” police said on Tuesday. “On Friday when the two ventured to the mountain it would have been raining in the area.”

Police described Ice Mountain as “a very technical climb” and recommended that hikers be “very experienced when trying to tackle it.”

“Chaffee County Search and Rescue (north and south) deployed to the area and began a search mission for the two hikers. The fresh blanket of snow made it easy to watch for tracks but, unfortunately, no human tracks were located,” police said.

Approximately 50 searchers continued their search for the missing hikers on Tuesday from multiple teams including Teller County, Lake County, Chaffee County, Arapaho County and Park County.

“Dogs and arial searchers were used and shortly after 12:00PM a helicopter spotted an object near Lake Ann. A search team was sent in on foot to this area and discovered that the object was the hiker’s tent that had collapsed under the weight of the snow,” police said in an update on Tuesday.

“There was no snow under the tent and there were no visible footprints in the snow which suggested, again, this was all in place before the snow came in. Their sleeping bags, a stove and some clothing were inside the tent, but Kaden and Jackson were not located,” police added.

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By Wednesday, the Chaffee County Sheriff’s Office said they still had their search and rescue members searching for the hikers, including helicopter flights and drone teams, as well as canines and handlers.

“Kaden and Jackson’s dorms were searched, and their climbing equipment was not found,” police reavealed. “The equipment was not located in their vehicle at the trailhead nor in their tent, which suggests they were prepared for a more technical climb when they left their tent.”

In another update on Wednesday following the dayslong search, police said, “It is with profound sadness that we report Kaden Matsuda (age 19) and Jackson Donlon (age 20) were located deceased at about 3:30PM today (10-28-26) in a basin of West Apostle Mountain in Chaffee County.”

On Thursday, the Colorado Mountain College (CMC) said it is “mourning the loss of Kaden Matsuda, 19, and Jackson Donlon, 20, two students at CMC Leadville who died during a mountain trip in Chaffee County.”

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“The college extends its deepest condolences to Kaden and Jackson’s families, friends, classmates and everyone whose lives they touched. CMC’s immediate priority is supporting those closest to the students and ensuring that the Leadville campus community has the care, counseling and resources needed during this difficult time,” the college added.

Matsuda was studying wildland fire at CMC and Donlon was studying outdoor recreation leadership, according to the college.

“Kaden and Jackson came to Leadville from different parts of the country but found common ground in their love of the mountains. At CMC, that shared passion grew into a friendship and a sense of belonging in the campus community,” the college said.

Ben Cairns, the CMC Leadville vice president and campus dean, said he is “heartbroken by the loss of Kaden and Jackson.”

“They came here to learn, to explore and to build their futures. Along the way, they built friendships and became part of our community. Their lives were full of promise, and their loss is felt deeply by the students, faculty and staff who knew them,” Cairns said.

“We will remember them not for how we lost them, but for who they were and the lives they touched,” he added.