College students Jackson Donlon and Kaden Matsuda died from a fall during a hiking trip in Colorado, with official investigations later confirming the tragedy resulted from a rappelling anchor failure.
True
College students Jackson Donlon and Kaden Matsuda died from falling during a hiking trip on Ice Mountain in Colorado.
Colorado Mountain College students killed after fall while rappelling, investigators say
Source: cbsnews.com
At a glance
Verified November 4, 2026Key Evidence
College students Jackson Donlon and Kaden Matsuda died from a fall during a hiking trip in Colorado.
Official investigations by local authorities determined that the deaths resulted from a rappelling anchor failure.
The reporting
What the Evidence Shows
College students Jackson Donlon and Kaden Matsuda embarked on a weekend hiking trip after leaving their Colorado Mountain College campus in Leadville.theguardian.comtheguardian.comColorado College Students Found Dead HikeThe Individuals: Kaden Matsuda, 19 (of Ridgway, Colorado) and Jackson Donlon, 20 (of New York) were students at the Colorado Mountain College campus in Leadville The Trip & Disappearance: The pair left campus on Friday, October 23, 2026,... When they failed to return, search efforts led to the discovery of their bodies in Chaffee County. Investigators and official reports from the Chaffee County Sheriff Office and Coroner Office subsequently confirmed that the two students died from falling after experiencing a catastrophic anchor failure while rappelling.
apnews.comapnews.comMissing College Hikers Colorado Autopsy 86c26a4566fc96095e8a0a96f05b6fcaBased on official reports from the Chaffee County Sheriff’s Office, the Chaffee County Coroner’s Office, and major news outlets, the claim is verified with specific contextual details regarding their deaths+1 more
Primary trail
Verified Sources3
Open source