HEARTBREAKING COLORADO MOUNTAIN TRAGEDY: Two College Students Found Dead After Weekend Hiking Trip
Kaden Matsuda, 19, and Jackson Donlon, 20, set out for a mountain adventure in Colorado, expecting to return home safely. Days later, their families received the devastating news that neither young man had survived.
CHAFEE COUNTY, COLORADO — A weekend hiking adventure has ended in tragedy after two college students who disappeared in Colorado’s rugged Collegiate Peaks region were found dead following an extensive search through dangerous mountain terrain.
Kaden Matsuda, 19, of Ridgway, Colorado, and Jackson Donlon, 20, of New York, had set out on Friday, October 23, intending to climb Ice Mountain, a 13,958-foot peak in Chaffee County. The two young men were students at Colorado Mountain College and had ambitions that reflected their passion for the outdoors.
They were expected to return by the weekend. But when they failed to come back, concern quickly turned into an urgent search that involved dozens of rescuers, difficult terrain, and worsening winter weather.
On Wednesday, October 28, the search ended in heartbreaking news: both students were found dead in the mountains.
The discovery brought an end to days of uncertainty, but it left two families facing an unimaginable loss. Two young men who had left for what was supposed to be an adventurous weekend would never return home.
A Weekend Adventure That Turned Into a Nightmare
For Kaden and Jackson, the trip began with a plan to take on a challenging mountain climb. Ice Mountain rises nearly 14,000 feet above sea level and is surrounded by rugged terrain that can become especially dangerous when winter weather moves into the region.
The students departed from Colorado Mountain College’s Leadville campus on Friday, October 23. Their plan was to complete the expedition and return by the weekend.
But the mountains can be unpredictable, particularly at high elevations, where conditions can change dramatically within a short period.
A powerful storm brought heavy precipitation to the area, with deep snow accumulating across the higher elevations. What may have started as a planned outdoor adventure became a desperate fight against the elements.
When the students did not return as expected, authorities began investigating their whereabouts and organizing search efforts.
Their disappearance raised urgent questions. Had they reached the mountain? Had they encountered dangerous conditions along the route? Could they have found shelter somewhere away from their planned path?
For their families and friends, every unanswered question brought more anxiety as the hours passed without word from either student.
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