Overview
- Search teams recovered the bodies of Kaden Matsuda and Jackson Donlon around 3:30 p.m. on Wednesday in a basin of West Apostle Mountain and said foul play is not suspected while autopsies proceed.
- The men left Colorado Mountain College’s Leadville campus on Oct. 23 to climb Ice Mountain and were reported missing after they did not return as expected over the weekend.
- About 50 to 60 multi‑county searchers used helicopters, drones with infrared, aircraft and search dogs and located the hikers’ tent near Lake Ann collapsed under snow with sleeping bags, a stove and clothing inside and no visible footprints around it.
- Officials say a rapid storm dumped one to two feet of snow on Ice Mountain with drifts up to three to four feet and extensive ice on boulder fields, creating hazardous terrain, limiting helicopter access and leaving little phone service.
- Colorado Mountain College and the local community are mourning the students, both described as experienced hikers studying wildland firefighting and mountain guiding, and authorities said a detailed coroner’s investigation will follow.