A dayslong search for two missing college students who vanished while hiking in Colorado ended when their bodies were found on Oct. 28, authorities said.
Kaden Matsuda, 19, from Ridgway, Colorado, and Jackson Donlon, 20, from New York, were found dead at about 3:30 p.m. local time in a basin of West Apostle Mountain in Chaffee County, after a search that included dozens of crew members, dogs, drones and helicopters, the Chaffee County Sheriff's Office said.
"Our heart aches for Kaden and Jackson’s family and friends. We are very proud of our team’s efforts to find them before this weekend’s coming storm," Sheriff Andy Rohrich said in a statement. "Although this is a gut punch, our prayers were answered that we would find Kaden and Jackson, allowing
some closure for the family. We ask that everyone give time and distance to family members and friends as they mourn their loss."
The students left the Colorado Mountain College Leadville Campus for a hike on Oct. 23 and were reported missing at about 10 a.m. on Oct. 26 by college staff after they didn't return, the Chaffee County Sheriff's Office said.
Matsuda and Donlon had planned to hike Ice Mountain, a "very technical climb" recommended only for advanced hikers, and planned on returning either Oct. 24 or Oct. 25, the sheriff's office said. Loved ones told authorities both were experienced hikers and had shared a map with their intended destination.
A search effort was complicated by recent snow that had fallen Oct. 24, also covering the mountain in ice and 1 to 2 feet of snow. Searchers soon found Matsuda's vehicle at the trailhead
"To access the mountain teams would have to cross boulder fields that are now covered in all the snow making it extremely dangerous and virtually impossible on foot. There is also nowhere on the mountain a helicopter could land to bring staff in," the sheriff's office said.
The search-and-rescue team deployed drones, helicopters, infrared technology and search dogs to no avail on Oct. 26. Cell phone data showed the missing students' phones hadn't been used in 48 hours. Dozens of searchers were looking for them.
On Oct. 27, a helicopter spotted an object and crews on foot found it was Matsuda and Donlon's tent, which had collapsed under snow, with sleeping bags and other supplies inside, but the students were not there. The supplies there and supplies missing suggested that they had taken advanced climbing gear with them when they left their tent.
"We are proud of these young men concerning how prepared they were, but sometimes mother nature throws you a curveball. Almost all the safety measures we tell backcountry explorers to use, these men did. That is a testament to their upbringing, strength and knowledge," Rohrich said in an update as the search was still ongoing on Oct. 28.
Authorities said they hoped at that point that Matsuda and Donlon were hunkered down somewhere awaiting rescue, but a "window of opportunity" to find them was closing because of coming bad weather.
Matsuda was studying to become a wildland firefighter, and Donlon was studying to be a mountain guide, Rohrich said.
The sheriff's office said foul play was not suspected, but authorities would not share theories about what happened until after an autopsy can be conducted.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 2 college students found dead after vanishing during Colorado hike
