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Two college students who went hiking in Colorado were found dead after they were not seen or heard from for several days.
Deputies discovered the bodies of Kaden Matsuda, 19, and Jackson Donlon, 20, in a mountain basin on West Apostle Mountain, the Chaffee County Sheriff’s Office confirmed.
Matsuda, of Ridgway, Colorado, and Donlon, of Queensbury, New York, were both students at Colorado Mountain College Leadville campus. Deputies say they left campus for a hike near Ice Mountain Friday, Oct. 23.
Colorado Mountain College students Kaden Matsuda and Jackson Donlon were found dead after they went for a mountain hike. (Chaffee County Sheriff’s Office)
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Their bodies were found Wednesday after the young men were reported missing by CMC on Monday.
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The sheriff’s office said their bodies were found near one another, and “foul play is not suspected.”
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Deputies say the men went for a hike near Ice Mountain before they were found dead. (Chaffee County Sheriff’s Office)
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Investigators shared detailed updates on social media about the mission in which 60 search and rescue volunteers deployed from six different counties and had to brave treacherous trails and deteriorating weather conditions to try and find the men.
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Search and rescue crews from six counties deployed to try and find the missing students. (Chaffee County Sheriff’s Office)
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Deputies were able to come up with a possible timeline for the students’ doomed hike.
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Timeline
- Friday, Oct. 23: The pair departs campus for Chaffee County during rainy weather.
- Saturday, Oct. 24: Their planned return day if conditions were poor. A heavy snowstorm hit between 1-2 p.m., causing severe local road hazards.
- Sunday, Oct. 25: Their planned return day if they pushed to the summit.
- Monday, Oct. 26: CMC staff officially reported them missing. Deputies located Matsuda’s vehicle at a trailhead near Winfield, Colorado.
- Tuesday, Oct. 27: Aerial crews spotted their collapsed tent near Lake Ann.
- Wednesday, Oct. 28: Kaden Matsuda and Jackson Donlon were found dead.
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Crews had to hike trails to try and locate the men. (Chaffee County Sheriff’s Office)
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In a statement, Sheriff Andy Rohrich said in part, “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. Although this is a gut punch, our prayers were answered that we would find Kaden and Jackson, allowing some closure for the family.”
Crews deployed from six counties to try to find the missing hikers. (Chaffee County Sheriff’s Office)
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Their remains were sent to the Chaffee County Coroner’s Office for autopsies.
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The investigation into their deaths continues.
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Fox News Digital has reached out to Colorado Mountain College for comment on the tragedy.