2 college students found dead after going missing during Colorado mountain hike amid snowstorm

Two college students who went missing during a hiking trip in Colorado's Rocky Mountains have been found dead after a snowstorm hit the area, authorities said.The bodies of Kaden Matsuda, 19, of Ridgway, Colorado, and Jackson Donlon, 20, from New York, were found on Wednesday afternoon in a basin of West Apostle Mountain, around 100 miles south-east of Aspen, the Chaffee County Sheriff's Office said.The two students from Colorado Mountain College's Leadville campus had set out on Friday for a hike up Ice Mountain, a peak nearly 14,000 feet high that requires technical climbing. They had told friends and family they expected to return by Sunday but were reported missing on Monday after failing to come back.A snowstorm hit the region during the search, bringing heavy snowfall and complicating efforts to locate the students. Authorities said the cause of their deaths remained under investigation and that foul play was not suspected. Officials said they would not speculate about what happened until autopsies were completed.“Our heart aches for Kaden and Jackson’s family and friends,” Chaffee County Sheriff Andy Rohrich said in a statement, adding that the discovery would help bring some closure to their families.Around 60 search and rescue volunteers took part in the operation, supported by helicopters, drones and search dogs.On Tuesday, a helicopter crew located the students' tent collapsed beneath the snow near a lake north-west of Ice Mountain. Sleeping bags, a stove and clothing were found inside, but the two men were missing.Based on the tent's location, investigators believed the students were heading towards West Apostle Mountain, which rises to 13,597 feet. Authorities also said their climbing equipment was not found in their dormitories, tent or vehicle, suggesting they may have left their campsite for a technical climb.Investigators found evidence that the students had eaten before setting out, including rubbish inside the tent. Their mobile phones had reportedly not been used in the preceding 48 hours, although authorities suspected they might have switched them off to conserve battery power.Friends and family described both men as experienced hikers and climbers. Matsuda was studying to become a wildland firefighter, while Donlon was training to become a mountain guide.Before the bodies were discovered, Rohrich had expressed hope that the students might be sheltering somewhere in the mountains while waiting to be rescued. Authorities had also been concerned that worsening weather expected from Friday could restrict aerial search operations.The sheriff's office said the investigation into the circumstances of the deaths was continuing.You use AI every day. Now get your AI Quotient. Take the AIQ test.