Searchers found the bodies of two college students who went missing on a hiking trip on Colorado's Ice Mountain. The Chaffee County Sheriff's Office said 19-year-old Kaden Matsuda from Ridgway, Colorado, and 20-year-old Jackson Donlon from New York were found Wednesday afternoon.

The two students from Colorado Mountain College left the Leadville campus Friday for a weekend trip but did not return on Sunday as expected. College staff reported them missing Monday.

They told friends and family they planned to go up Ice Mountain, which requires technical climbing experience, according to the sheriff's office. Friends and family described both as experienced hikers and climbers.

Weather in your inbox

Forecast Location

Sign Up

By signing up you agree to the Terms & Privacy Policy. Unsubscribe at any time.

Over the weekend, Ice Mountain got its first big snow of the season, with the sheriff's office reporting the mountain received as much as 4 feet of snow in some areas. Rain and ice on top of that snow also created a huge challenge and threat to searchers.

About 60 people were part of the search. Dogs were flown into an area where a tent was found with the hikers' sleeping bags, and human foot tracks were discovered partially buried in the snow, the sheriff's office said.

Their bodies were found near each other in a basin of West Apostle Mountain.

Get More of Our News on Google

Set The Weather Company as a 'Preferred Source' to get quicker access to the news you value.

In a social media post Wednesday evening, Sheriff Andy Rohrich said foul play is not suspected in the deaths but an autopsy and detailed investigation would be completed.

"Our heart aches for Kaden and Jackson’s family and friends," said Rohrich. "We are very proud of our team’s efforts to find them before this weekend’s coming storm. Although this is a gut punch, our prayers were answered that we would find Kaden and Jackson, allowing some closure for the family. We ask that everyone give time and distance to family members and friends as they mourn their loss."