By Ahmed Abdelsalam
Two Colorado Mountain College students died last week when a climbing anchor failed on West Apostle Mountain in Chaffee County, authorities said Tuesday.
Anchor failure causes fatal fall
Kaden Matsuda, 19, and Jackson Donlon, 20, died instantly from multiple blunt force injuries after the anchor they were using for a rappel suffered a "catastrophic failure," the Chaffee County Sheriff's Office and coroner's office said. The anchor was backed up by a metal spike and a secondary anchor, but both gave way. The students fell a substantial distance, though the exact length is unknown.
Students were experienced and prepared
Sheriff Andy Rohrich said the pair had been well prepared for their weekend trip and the heavy snowstorm that moved in was not a direct factor in the anchor failure. "In most similar cases that have led to a devastating conclusion we find it easy to pick apart what was done wrong. That was not the case with Kaden and Jackson," Rohrich said.
Background of the victims
Matsuda, from Ridgway, Colorado, was studying to become a wildland firefighter. Donlon, from Queensbury, New York, was pursuing outdoor recreation leadership and was an avid climber and skier. They became fast friends at the college's Leadville campus, which sits at 10,119 feet and is known for its mountaineering and outdoor programs.
Circumstances of the climb
The students set out from the Leadville campus aiming for Ice Mountain but appeared to switch to West Apostle Mountain, a 13,597-foot peak. Rain turned into a severe storm that dumped up to 2 feet of snow. Their bodies were found in a snow-filled basin on the mountain, about 100 miles southeast of Aspen.
