A mysterious photo of a "shadow man" could shed light on what happened to a hiker who went missing in Hawaii.
Daylenn Pua, a 17-year-old from Hawaii, vanished while attempting to hike the notorious Haiku Stairs - also known as the "Stairway to Heaven" - a dangerous trail that has been closed to the public since 1987 due to safety concerns.
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The staircase, spanning nearly 4,000 feet and consisting of 3,922 steps, narrows to just 18 inches at some points, leaving little margin for error along the perilous ridgeline, per the Daily Star.
The teen vanished in 2015, and people are still not sure what happened to him.
When Pua failed to return from his hike, an extensive search effort was launched by the Navy, Honolulu Fire Department, and volunteers in the Moanalua Valley.
However, his body was never found, according to SFGate.
Pua, a high school student from Hawaii Island, was visiting his grandmother on O'ahu at the time of his disappearance.
Described by family as an "adventurous person," he excitedly shared his plans to hike the Ha'ikū Stairs on social media just hours before he began the trek.
"Stairway to Heaven. Hiking this insane hike tomorrow. Wish me luck," he posted on Facebook.
Despite warnings from friends about the dangers of the trail, including a recent landslide and missing stairs, Pua assured them he was aware of the risks and would be careful.
One friend cautioned him about the trail’s closure and the potential for fines, but Pua remained undeterred, stating: "there’s other ways to getting to the stairs without breaking any laws."
Reports suggest Pua may have taken a back route through the Moanalua Valley to reach the summit, bypassing the closed stairway.
However, many consider this alternative path to be even more dangerous than the illegal Ha'ikū Stairs.
Pua’s last public Facebook post on the day of his hike read: "And the hike begins. #haiku."
When he failed to return that evening, his grandmother reported him missing the following day.
One of the last photos Pua sent to his family, taken along the treacherous Kulana'ahane Trail, revealed a chilling discovery.
The grainy image appeared to show a human-like figure crouching in the bushes.
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Desperate for answers, his family asked the public for help in identifying the unknown figure, hoping it could lead to information about Pua’s whereabouts.
The man has never been identified, and speculation continues to swirl.
Some believe Daylenn's disappearance may not have been an accident, but rather the result of foul play, potentially involving the mysterious figure spotted in the photo.
Search teams scoured the steep ridges and cliffs where Pua was last seen.
According to Hawaii News Now, two hikers reported hearing cries for help, prompting rescuers to focus their efforts on a narrow ridge with steep drops on either side.
Despite their efforts, no trace of Pua was ever found.
His family also searched the area, including the location where his cellphone last pinged, but to no avail.
Pua's grandmother, Martha Bear, later told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser that she had warned him not to go on the hike, adding: "He always lights up the day."
Ethan Pearson-Pomerantz, president of Oahu Search and Rescue, recalled the community's efforts to find Pua, even though his organization didn’t exist at the time.
"There are sections where you can see a good distance in any direction, and there are areas where it is difficult to see more than a few feet ahead of you," Pearson-Pomerantz told the Daily Mail.
He added that while pigs inhabit the area, they do not pose a threat to humans.
Regarding the mysterious figure in the photo, Pearson-Pomerantz said that ultimately, nothing conclusive came from it.
He also noted that Pua's case is unusual. "People not being found is relatively rare," he said, explaining that without additional clues, it’s hard to speculate what happened.
Closed in 1987 due to safety concerns, the stairs were further damaged by a storm in 2015, the same year Pua disappeared.
In April 2024, a project to permanently remove the stairs began after continued illegal use, although it was later delayed by a lawsuit.
