The Aporia · Two Colorado college students found dead after going missing during hike

Kaden Matsuda, 19, and Jackson Donlon, 20, were found dead after going missing during a hiking trip in the Rocky Mountains near West Apostle Mountain last weekend when a snowstorm hit. The pair had left their college campus to hike Ice Mountain but failed to return as expected; they were reported missing on Monday. About 60 search and rescue volunteers used helicopters, drones, and dogs to locate them over several days. Their bodies were found in a collapsed tent with camping equipment nearby, suggesting foul play was unlikely. The sheriff praised the efforts of his team for finding the students before severe weather hit later that week.

Written by AI on 2026-10-29, from this article's own text only (the story summary below draws on all the coverage).

Story summary

Kaden Matsuda, 19, and Jackson Donlon, 20, were found dead on Wednesday afternoon in a basin of West Apostle Mountain in Chaffee County, Colorado. The pair had gone missing while hiking Ice Mountain near the campus of Colorado Mountain College Leadville since last Friday, October 23. Approximately two feet of snow fell during their hike, and they were discovered by search parties after an extensive rescue mission involving over 60 volunteers from six different counties.

The Chaffee County Sheriff's Office reported that Matsuda was a resident of Ridgway, Colorado, studying to be a wildland firefighter, while Donlon was a native of Queensbury, New York, pursuing studies in mountain guide training. The sheriff’s office stated, “Foul play is not suspected,” and they will await autopsy results before offering any theories about the cause of death.

Both students’ bodies were found near each other, roughly half a mile from their last known location where their tent had been buried under snow. Search efforts included helicopter flights and drone teams to cover the vast and treacherous terrain.

Written for “Two Students Found Dead After Hike” on 2026-10-31, grounded in this article and the 5 other(s) covering the same event.

This article reads unscored and hedges 12% of its claims. Each row says how that neighbour differs.

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Hedges 2 of 17 claims Outlet record 66/100

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Associated Press

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Two Colorado college students have been found dead after going missing during a hiking trip in the Rocky Mountains last weekend when a heavy snowstorm hit, authorities said. asserted

authorities → find → Mountains

The bodies of Kaden Matsuda, 19, of Ridgway, Colorado, and Jackson Donlon, 20, of New York, were found on Wednesday afternoon in a basin of West Apostle Mountain, about 100 miles (160km) south-east of Aspen, the Chaffee county sheriff’s office said in a statement posted on social media. asserted

office → find → media

The pair left Colorado Mountain College’s Leadville campus on Friday, telling family and friends they planned to hike up Ice Mountain, a nearly 14,000ft (4,270-meter) peak near West Apostle Mountain that requires technical climbing, the sheriff’s office said. asserted

office → leave → climbing

They were expected back by Sunday, but college staff reported them missing on Monday morning. asserted

staff → expect → morning

The sheriff’s office said the causes of their deaths were under investigation, but foul play was not suspected. asserted

play → say → investigation

Authorities said they would not offer theories on what may have happened until autopsies are completed. uncertain

autopsies → say → theories

“Our heart aches for Kaden and Jackson’s family and friends,” Chaffee county’s sheriff, Andy Rohrich, said in the statement on Wednesday night. asserted

sheriff → ache → night

“We are very proud of our team’s efforts to find them before this weekend’s coming storm. asserted

We → find → storm

Although this is a gut punch, our prayers were answered that we would find Kaden and Jackson, allowing some closure for the family.” asserted

we → answer → family

About 60 search and rescue volunteers, aided by helicopters, drones and dogs, searched for the two men. asserted

volunteers → aid → men

The helicopter crew on Tuesday discovered a tent collapsed under the snow with their sleeping bags, a stove and clothing near a lake north-west of Ice Mountain, but the students were nowhere to be found. asserted

students → discover → Mountain

Based on the tent’s location, officials said they were aiming for the 13,597ft West Apostle Mountain. asserted

they → base → Mountain

Friends and family described both men as experienced hikers and climbers. asserted

Friends → describe → hikers

The sheriff’s office said their climbing equipment was not in their dorms, tent or vehicle, suggesting they left their tent prepared for a technical climb. asserted

they → say → climb

Trash inside the tent indicated they had eaten before starting their hike, officials said. asserted

officials → indicate → hike

Matsuda was studying to become a wildland firefighter, and Donlon was studying to become a mountain guide, Rohrich said. asserted

Rohrich → study → ?

Authorities had been concerned that aerial searches could be limited later this week because of poor weather that is expected to begin on Friday. uncertain

that → concern → Friday

Two Colorado college students found dead after going missing during hike

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