A young man disappeared while exploring the ‘Stairway to Heaven,’ with one of the last images he shared with his grandmother being particularly unsettling.
Daylenn Pua, a teenager, embarked on a hiking adventure during his trip to Hawaii to visit his grandmother. On February 27, 2015, he decided to take on the Haiku Stairs, also known as the ‘Stairway to Heaven.’
After sending photos of his trekking journey to his grandmother, the 17-year-old was never heard from again.
Daylenn’s grandmother had cautioned him against hiking the Haiku Stairs, as the trail was closed to the public and attempting the ascent was considered trespassing.
The stairs were originally constructed during World War Two to grant access to a confidential US Navy radio station concealed in Haiku Valley, allowing the US to send signals to its ships in the Pacific, reaching even as far as Tokyo Bay.
The trail comprises ‘3,922 steps across the Ko’olau range.’ However, the steps are described as ‘weathered and sometimes not trustworthy,’ with the ascent being a ‘continuous and steep path.’ This makes it extremely dangerous to navigate, according to Oahu Hike.
Despite the risks, the teenager proceeded with his plan, enticed by ‘easily the best views across Oahu.’ He even posted on social media the day before his hike, asking his followers to wish him ‘luck.’
Sadly, Daylenn has not been seen since, leaving his grandmother with only the photographs he sent during his hike.
Efforts to locate Daylenn included the deployment of US navy drones and search parties, but neither the teen nor his phone or backpack were found.
There are primarily two theories regarding what might have occurred, one based on a photo Daylenn sent to his grandmother.
Upon zooming in on the picture, a figure resembling a person—or possibly something else—can be seen crouching in the brush.
It has not been determined whether this is indeed a person or an animal, what they were doing there, or if they are connected to Daylenn’s disappearance. However, the Honolulu Police Department indicated that if it were a man in the image, they would classify them as a person of interest in the case.
Another plausible theory is that Daylenn slipped and fell, as rescue teams searching for him reported experiencing slips and falls despite being skilled hikers.
Ultimately, nearly a decade later, the mystery of what happened to Daylenn remains unsolved.