Authorities said Tuesday that two college students whose bodies were recovered last week in the Colorado mountains were rappelling when the rock anchoring them likely gave way, causing them to fall a "substantial distance." Dig deeper: Kaden Matsuda, 19, and Jackson Donlon, 20, died instantly from multiple blunt force injuries, an autopsy found, according to the Chaffee County Sheriff's Office and coroner's office.

Their bodies were found in a snow-filled basin of West Apostle Mountain, about 100 miles (160 kilometers) southeast of Aspen.

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.