Searchers Locate Two Missing Hikers in Colorado After Five-Day Operation

Chaffee County authorities confirmed on Wednesday night that the bodies of two college students were located in the Colorado mountains, ending a five-day search that began after a winter storm trapped the pair near Leadville.

The victims were identified as Kaden Matsuda, 19, of Ridgway, and Jackson Donlon, 20, from New York. Both were students at Colorado Mountain College, with Matsuda training to be a wildland firefighter and Donlon studying to become a mountain guide. Officials stated that no foul play is suspected and that the men were discovered near one another in a basin of West Apostle Mountain, a peak that reaches 13,597 feet.

The men departed Leadville on Friday for a planned weekend hike to Ice Mountain, which stands at 13,960 feet. A storm struck the area on Saturday, depositing between one and two feet of snow. Family members contacted law enforcement on Monday morning when the students did not return as scheduled. Officials later found the men's vehicle at a trailhead near Winfield covered in approximately eight inches of snow, and searchers subsequently located their tent and gear buried under the fresh snow.

Chaffee County Sheriff Andy Rohrich said that roughly 50 searchers were active in the field on Wednesday morning when the bodies were found at approximately 3:30 p.m. The search operation involved drones, helicopters, aircraft equipped with infrared technology, and search dogs. Although officials initially hoped that the new snowpack would reveal footprints, the Chaffee County Sheriff’s Office reported that no tracks were found, noting that snowdrifts near Ice Mountain reached four feet in height.

The Chaffee County Sheriff’s Department said it will not speculate on the cause of death until an autopsy is completed. The office stated that a detailed investigation is underway in partnership with the Chaffee County Coroner’s Office. Officials noted that the men’s phones had not been used for two days prior to the call for help and that cellular service was likely absent in the region.

Colorado Mountain College officials expressed gratitude to the search and rescue professionals and volunteers who participated in the operation. The college said it is focusing on providing emotional support to students, faculty, and staff in the days ahead. Rohrich described the discovery as a moment of closure for the families, asking the public to allow the families time and distance as they grieve.