Two college students who were recovered last week in the Colorado mountains died in the Colorado mountain climbing deaths incident when a climbing anchor failed during a rappel, causing a fall from a substantial height, according to authorities.
The Chaffee County Sheriff’s Office and the county coroner said autopsies determined that Kaden Matsuda, 19, and Jackson Donlon, 20, died instantly from multiple blunt force injuries. Their bodies were located in a snow-filled basin below West Apostle Mountain, roughly 100 miles southeast of Aspen.
Colorado mountain climbing deaths on West Apostle Mountain
Officials said it remains unclear why the anchor system failed. They noted that a severe snowstorm that moved through the area was not a direct factor. In a statement, Sheriff Andy Rohrich commended the students’ preparation and respect for the backcountry, saying the case did not present obvious mistakes.
The pair had departed from Colorado Mountain College’s Leadville campus for a planned weekend outing. While their initial objective was Ice Mountain, a 13,958-foot peak, investigators believe they shifted to West Apostle Mountain, which rises to 13,597 feet.
According to the sheriff’s office, Donlon had begun to rappel from a rock anchor when the system experienced a catastrophic failure. The anchor had been backed up with a metal spike in the rock and a secondary point. Matsuda was also clipped to the same protection, and both climbers fell a long distance, though investigators did not specify how far.
Rohrich said the two close friends spent their final moments together in the high peaks of Chaffee County that they loved, and that evidence indicated neither suffered.
Colorado Mountain College operates campuses across the Rockies and is known for programs tied to the state’s outdoor recreation economy, including mountaineering, ski patrol, and guiding.
Matsuda, of Ridgway, Colorado, was studying to become a wildland firefighter. Donlon, from Queensbury, New York, was pursuing outdoor recreation leadership and was an experienced climber and skier.
Authorities said the pair set out in rain, and a powerful storm later brought up to 2 feet of snow. Officials reiterated that while weather complicated conditions, it was not deemed a direct cause of the anchor failure.
Their deaths follow other recent tragedies, including a Learjet crash that killed nine people in Florida. Authorities in Chaffee County said they will continue reviewing equipment and interview records as part of the investigation.