By Ahmed Abdelsalam
Search teams recovered the bodies of two missing college students in the West Apostle Mountain basin on Wednesday, ending a days-long search that began after the pair failed to return from a planned hike in severe winter conditions.
Students missing since Friday
Kaden Matsuda, 19, from Ridgway, Colorado, and Jackson Donlon, 20, from New York, left the Colorado Mountain College Leadville campus on October 23 intending to hike Ice Mountain and return two days later. Authorities located Matsuda's vehicle at the Mount Huron trailhead and found their tent buried under snow.
Bodies discovered four miles from trailhead
Around 3:30 p.m. local time, searchers found the bodies approximately four miles from where the car was parked. The area had received roughly two feet of snow at the time of their climb and has little to no cell phone service. Officials described the terrain as a "very technical" climb requiring significant experience.
Large-scale search operation
The search involved about 60 personnel along with search dogs, drones, and helicopters. Chaffee County Sheriff Andy Rohrich said investigators do not suspect foul play, and autopsies are pending.
College community mourns
Both men were students at Colorado Mountain College. Matsuda was studying to become a wildland firefighter, while Donlon was training as a mountain guide. The college released a statement expressing devastation at the loss and gratitude to search and rescue teams. Sheriff Rohrich said the discovery allows some closure for the families and asked the public to give them space to mourn.
