A hiker who says they heard the screams of a teenage boy who disappeared a decade ago expressed that they could “never explain the feeling” of hearing such a disturbing cry.
Daylenn Pua, 17, embarked on a hike in a secluded area of Oʻahu, Hawaii, with the intention of visiting his grandmother, but he vanished on February 27, 2015, and was never seen again.
The teenager decided to hike the Haiku Stairs, also known as the ‘Stairway to Heaven,’ and even sent photos to his grandmother during his hike.
His grandmother had cautioned him about the perilous Haiku Stairs, as the “steep and continuous” pathway had been closed to the public, and climbing them was considered trespassing.
These steps were originally constructed during World War Two to provide access to a secret US Navy radio station hidden in Haiku Valley.
The trail consisted of “3,922 steps across the Ko’olau range,” which were “weathered and sometimes not trustworthy.”
Nevertheless, the teen proceeded, eager to conquer the staircase that promised “easily the best views across Oahu.”
The day prior to the hike, Daylenn made an ominous social media post asking his followers to wish him “luck” on the trip.
Unfortunately, Daylenn has not been seen since, leaving his grandmother with only a few photographs he sent during his journey.
Hawaii News Now reported that rescue teams focused their search on a narrow ridge based on cries for help heard by two hikers.
A Reddit user claimed they were hiking the day the teen disappeared and reported hearing haunting screams from the stairs.
Posting under the username ‘Dclandry,’ they wrote: “I could never explain to you the feeling I felt when you hear a cry like that. The hiker did not trust pass and go up the stairs. By the looks of the photographs, he didn’t even make it to the stairs.”
They added: “The wind died just a tad and we heard ‘I’m down here!’ My friend and I both stopped in our tracks and started screaming for him. It was not the rescuers. The voice was different than the calls from the rescuers. I immediately called 911 again.
“We stayed up there for about another hour without moving to try and listen for him again. The wind was so bad and the clouds are starting to roll in so it was hard to hear anything.”
US Navy drones were deployed in an attempt to locate Daylenn, and search parties were organized, but tragically, neither the teen nor his phone or backpack were found.
There are two primary theories regarding what happened, one stemming from a photograph the teen sent his grandmother.
If you zoom in on the image, a figure appears to be crouching in the undergrowth.
Another theory suggests that Daylenn may have slipped and fallen. Rescue teams searching for him reported slipping and falling themselves, despite their experience.
The mystery of what happened to Daylenn remains unresolved nearly ten years after his disappearance. He would have been almost 27 years old today.
The Haiku Stairs are reportedly in the process of being dismantled and removed.