Joint Press Release by the Chaffee County Sheriff’s Office and the Chaffee County Coroner’s Office
11-03-26
On November 2nd, 2026, an autopsy was conducted to determine the cause of death of Kaden Matsuda (age 19 from Ridgway, CO) and Jackson Donlon (age 20 from Queensbury, NY) the two Colorado Mountain College Students from the Leadville, CO campus who were recovered from a basin of West Apostle Mountain in Chaffee County on October 29th, 2026.
The autopsy was performed in El Paso County at the request of the Chaffee County Coroner, Jeff Graf. The autopsy showed that the cause of both their deaths was multiple blunt force injuries and their deaths were instant.
The investigation into the incident was completed by the Chaffee County Sheriff’s Office. The investigation showed that Jackson was beginning to rappel from a primary anchor point on a rock substrate. That anchor appears to have been backed up by a piton and a secondary anchor made of rock substrate. Kaden was attached via his personal anchor device to the same anchor points as well as the primary anchor point. The anchor had a catastrophic failure of unknown cause. Both then fell a substantial distance (exact distance unknown). It is unknown if the heavy snowstorm had a negative impact leading to the incident, but it did not play a direct contributing factor in their death.
“Kaden and Jackson lived life at the highest peaks chasing freedoms and panoramic views that most of us only see in pictures. 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.
Kaden and Jackson will certainly be remembered by my staff as an example to others of what preparation looks like. In most similar cases that have led to a devastating conclusion we find it easy to pick apart what was done wrong. That was not the case with Kaden and Jackson.
There are no right words to family and friends for a loss this heavy. Know that whenever we explore our backcountry in the future we will think of them as young men who didn’t just look at the world; they climbed it. May they rest in peace.” -Sheriff Andy Rohrich
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Check out our online trail guides:
- Glacier National Park: HikinginGlacier.com
- Grand Teton National Park: TetonHikingTrails.com
- Rocky Mountain National Park: RockyMountainHikingTrails.com
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