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The two college students whose bodies were recovered<\/a> last week in the Colorado mountains died when an anchor they were using to climb failed and they fell a \u201csubstantial distance,\u201d authorities said Tuesday.<\/p>\n Kaden Matsuda, 19, and Jackson Donlon, 20, died instantly from multiple blunt force injuries, an autopsy found, according to the Chaffee County Sheriff\u2019s Office and coroner\u2019s office. Their bodies were found in a snow-filled basin of West Apostle Mountain, about 100 miles (160 kilometers) southeast of Aspen.<\/p>\n It was not known why the anchor failed, but the heavy snowstorm was not a direct factor, according to the statement, which commended the college students for their love of the outdoors and preparation for the climbing trip.<\/p>\n \u201cIn most similar cases that have led to a devastating conclusion we find it easy to pick apart what was done wrong,\u201d said Chaffee County Sheriff Andy Rohrich. \u201cThat was not the case with Kaden and Jackson.\u201d<\/p>\n The pair had set out from Colorado Mountain College\u2019s Leadville campus for what was supposed to be a weekend trip. While they were originally aiming for Ice Mountain, a 13,958-foot (4,254-meter) peak, Rohrich said they appeared to switch to the 13,597-foot (4,144-meter) West Apostle Mountain.<\/p>\n Donlon was starting to rappel from an anchor point on a rock when it had a \u201ccatastrophic failure,” despite being backed up by a metal spike in the rock and a secondary anchor, according to the statement. Matsuda was attached to the same anchor points.<\/p>\n They both fell a long distance, although officials said the exact length was not known, according to the statement.<\/p>\n \u201cWhile their lives were far too short, they spent their final moments together surrounded by the majestic beauty of Chaffee County\u2019s high peaks that they loved,\u201d Rohrich said. \u201cThere is also relief knowing neither of them suffered.\u201d<\/p>\n Colorado Mountain College, which has campuses throughout the Colorado Rockies, is known for its programs focusing on the state\u2019s robust outdoor recreation economy, including mountaineering, ski patrol and guiding careers.<\/p>\n Matsuda, of Ridgway, Colorado, and Donlon, of Queensbury, New York, became fast friends at the small campus in Leadville<\/a>, which bills itself as America\u2019s highest city at 10,119 feet (3,084 meters) above sea level. Located about 100 miles (160 kilometers) west of Denver, the city is home to about 2,600 people and is flanked by some of Colorado\u2019s tallest mountains.<\/p>\n Matsuda was studying to be a wildland firefighter. Donlon, an avid climber and skier, was studying outdoor recreation leadership and had come to Colorado to pursue his love of the mountains.<\/p>\n It was raining when they started hiking, according to the sheriff\u2019s office, and later a severe storm arrived, dumping up to 2 feet (0.6 meters) of snow. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n