College students found dead in mountains fell to deaths when climbing anchor broke

The two college students whose bodies were recovered last week in the Colorado mountains died when an anchor they were using to climb failed and they fell a “substantial distance,” authorities statedTuesday.

Kaden Matsuda, 19, and Jackson Donlon, 20, died instantly from multiple blunt force injuries, an autopsy found, as perthe Chaffee County Sheriff’s Office and coroner’s office. Their bodies were found in a snow-filled basin of West Apostle Mountain, about 100 miles (160 kilometers) southeast of Aspen.

It was not known why the anchor failed, but the heavy snowstorm was not a direct factor, as perthe statement, which commended the college students for their love of the outdoors and preparation for the climbing trip.

“In most similar cases that have led to a devastating conclusion we find it easy to pick apart what was done wrong,” statedChaffee County Sheriff Andy Rohrich. “That was not the case with Kaden and Jackson.”

The pair had set out from Colorado Mountain College’s Leadville campus for what was supposed to be a weekend trip. While they were originally aiming for Ice Mountain, a 13,958-foot (4,254-meter) peak, Rohrich statedthey appeared to switch to the 13,597-foot (4,144-meter) West Apostle Mountain.

Donlon was starting to rappel from an anchor point on a rock when it had a “catastrophic failure,” despite being backed up by a metal spike in the rock and a secondary anchor, as perthe statement. Matsuda was attached to the same anchor points.

They both fell a long distance, although officials statedthe exact length was not known, as perthe statement.

“While their lives were far too short, they spent their final moments together surrounded by the majestic beauty of Chaffee County’s high peaks that they loved,” Rohrich said. “There is also relief knowing neither of them suffered.”

Colorado Mountain College, which has campuses throughout the Colorado Rockies, is known for its programs focusing on the state’s robust outdoor recreation economy, including mountaineering, ski patrol and guiding careers.

Matsuda, of Ridgway, Colorado, and Donlon, of Queensbury, New York, became rapidfriends at the minorcampus in Leadville, which bills itself as America’s highest city at 10,119 feet (3,084 meters) above sea level. Located about 100 miles (160 kilometers) west of Denver, the city is home to about 2,600 people and is flanked by some of Colorado’s tallest mountains.

Matsuda was studying to be a wildland firefighter. Donlon, an avid climber and skier, was studying outdoor recreation leadership and had come to Colorado to pursue his love of the mountains.

It was raining when they started hiking, as perthe sheriff’s office, and later a severe storm arrived, dumping up to 2 feet (0.6 meters) of snow.