Two college students who disappeared during a mountain expedition in Colorado died after falling from a rappelling route when their anchor system suffered a “catastrophic failure,” authorities said.
Jackson Donlon, 20, of Upstate New York, and Kaden Matsuda, 19, were students at Colorado Mountain College in Leadville. The pair “fell a substantial distance” into a mountain basin after the equipment failed, the Chaffee County Sheriff’s Office said Tuesday.
The experienced climbers were found dead five days after leaving campus to attempt Ice Mountain, a peak that rises to nearly 14,000 feet.
Investigators said Donlon had begun rappelling from a primary anchor attached to a rock surface. The setup appeared to be reinforced with a piton and a second anchor connected to the rock.
Matsuda was secured to the same anchor system with his personal anchor device, in addition to the primary anchor point. For reasons that remain unknown, the anchor failed catastrophically, sending both men falling a significant distance, the sheriff’s office said. Officials added that the precise distance could not be determined.
Autopsies found that both students died from multiple blunt-force injuries. Their deaths were immediate, authorities said, emphasizing that neither man suffered.
Donlon was from Queensbury, New York, while Matsuda, an aspiring firefighter, was from Ridgway, Colorado. The two were also known to have encountered a snowstorm during the ill-fated climb.
YOU MAY ALSO READ: HOA Dispute Turns Violent as Pepper Spray Brawl Erupts in Upscale Neighborhood
Although investigators have not determined whether the heavy snowfall contributed to the anchor failure, they said the storm was not a direct cause of the men’s deaths.
“Kaden and Jackson lived life at the highest peaks, chasing the freedom and panoramic views that most of us only see in pictures,” the sheriff’s office said. “We hope their families and friends find strength in the memories of their vibrant spirits.”
“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. There is also relief knowing neither of them suffered.”
Before the students were located, searchers found their tent collapsed beneath the snow.
Sleeping bags, a stove and clothing were inside, but there was no sign of either hiker.
Matsuda’s vehicle was discovered at a nearby trailhead, surrounded by roughly eight inches of snow.
