Two Colorado Mountain College students found dead after Ice Mountain hike
Kaden Matsuda, 19, and Jackson Donlon, 20, vanished on a snowy backpacking trip on Ice Mountain, Colorado. The Chaffee County Sheriff's Office said their bodies were found on Wednesday 28 October and that foul play is not suspected.
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The story, neutrally told
Mixed · 2Kaden Matsuda, 19, and Jackson Donlon, 20, students at Colorado Mountain College's Leadville campus, left on a Friday for a backpacking trip on Ice Mountain, a nearly 14,000-foot peak in Chaffee County, Colorado, according to the sheriff's office. New York PostR “Kaden Matsuda, 19, and Jackson Donlon, 20, left the Colorado Mountain College Leadville campus Friday for a backpacking adventure on Ice Mountain” Read at New York Post ↗ Hindustan TimesN “19-year-old Kaden Matsuda and 20-year-old Jackson Donlon were both students who attended Colorado Mountain College Leadville campus.” Read at Hindustan Times ↗ Right · 1Friends said the pair planned to return Saturday if they did not feel safe, or Sunday if conditions were good; the weather turned from rain to heavy snow at about 1 p.m. Saturday, which the sheriff's office said caused "horrific road conditions". New York PostR “The weather, however, quickly turned from rain to heavy snow at around 1 p.m. Saturday, causing “horrific road conditions,” Chaffee County Sheriff’s Office said.” Read at New York Post ↗ Centre · 1The Hindustan Times reported that they were originally reported missing on October 23, and that deputies who responded to the trailhead near Winfield, used to access the Mt. Huron trailhead, found Matsuda's vehicle. Hindustan TimesN “two hikers were found dead after they were originally reported missing on October 23.”“When deputies responded to the trailhead earlier, they found Matsuda's vehicle.” Read at Hindustan Times ↗
Right · 1On Tuesday, crews searching by helicopter found a tent collapsed under snow containing the students' sleeping bags, a stove and clothing, but not the students. New York PostR “Crews combing the area by helicopter Tuesday discovered a tent collapsed under the snow with their sleeping bags, a stove and clothing inside” Read at New York Post ↗ Right · 1The sheriff's office said there was no snow under the tent and no visible footprints, which suggested the camp was set up before the snow arrived. New York PostR “There was no snow under the tent and there were no visible footprints in the snow which suggested, again, this was all in place before the snow came in,”” Read at New York Post ↗ Centre · 1In an update on Wednesday night, 28 October, the sheriff's office said both students were found dead, near each other, at about 3:30 p.m. in a basin of West Apostle Mountain. Hindustan TimesN “The sheriff’s office said that their bodies were found around 3:30 pm in a basin of West Apostle Mountain in the county.”“The two bodies were found near each other, the sheriff’s office confirmed.” Read at Hindustan Times ↗
Centre · 1The office said foul play is not suspected and that it will not offer theories on what happened until an autopsy is completed, with a detailed investigation to be carried out with the Chaffee County Coroner's Office. Hindustan TimesN “It said that a detailed investigation will be completed in partnership with the Chaffee County Coroner’s Office.” Read at Hindustan Times ↗ Centre · 1Sheriff Andy Rohrich called the outcome "a gut punch" but said the team was proud to have found them before an approaching storm, and asked for privacy for the families. Hindustan TimesN “Although this is a gut punch, our prayers were answered that we would find Kaden and Jackson, allowing some closure for the family.” Read at Hindustan Times ↗ Centre · 1Colorado Mountain College Leadville said it was devastated, thanked search and rescue personnel, and left information about the search and recovery to the sheriff's office. Hindustan TimesN “"We are devastated by the loss of Kaden Matsuda and Jackson Donlon, two members of our Colorado Mountain College community."” Read at Hindustan Times ↗
Centre · 1The sheriff's office has warned that hikers on Ice Mountain must be very experienced because it is a technical climb. Hindustan TimesN “The sheriff's office has warned that hikers planning to navigate Ice Mountain must be very experienced as it is a technical climb.” Read at Hindustan Times ↗
Every sentence links to the reporting it rests on. The pill in front of each says where its sources sit: Left, Centre or Right when one side supplies at least half of them, Mixed when they are evenly split. The number is how many outlets it cites.
Left0 outlets
No left outlet in our sources has covered this story yet.
Centre1 outlet
- Framing
- Hindustan Times reported the outcome: the students were found dead, relaying the sheriff's and college statements.
- Emphasis
- Official statements, that foul play is not suspected, and the technical difficulty of the climb.
- Leaves out or plays down
- Does not mention the collapsed tent or the weather details.
- Charged language
- “gut punch”
- For example
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“found dead after massive search” — Hindustan Times
“foul play is not suspected” — Hindustan Times
Right1 outlet
- Framing
- New York Post covered the search while the students were still missing, with a dramatic tone about a closing window to find them.
- Emphasis
- The weather turn, the collapsed tent and the signs the camp predated the snow.
- Leaves out or plays down
- Written before the bodies were found, so it has no outcome, cause or official statements.
- Charged language
- “devastating discoveries”
- For example
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“search team makes devastating discoveries” — New York Post
“the window to find them is rapidly closing” — New York Post
What every side reports
- Kaden Matsuda, 19, and Jackson Donlon, 20, were Colorado Mountain College Leadville students.
- They went to hike Ice Mountain in Chaffee County, Colorado.
Left0 articles
No coverage yet.
Centre1 article
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Sympathetic Outcome report built on official and college statements of mourning.
Right1 article
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Alarmist Suspense-driven report on an ongoing search, hinting at grim findings.
- 28 Oct 16:55 First New York PostR Two college students missing after going on Ice Mountain hike as search team makes devastating discoveries
- 29 Oct 08:14 +15h 19m Hindustan TimesN Kaden Matsuda and Jackson Donlon, missing Colorado Mountain College hikers, found dead after massive search
Times are when each article was published, or when we first saw it if the outlet gave no time.
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