Teen took photo of mysterious ‘shadow man’ while hiking and was never seen again
A teen who hiked up an iconic set of steps snapped a photo of a “shadow man” before he vanished.
A teen who hiked up the iconic “Stairway to Heaven” steps snapped a photo of a “shadow man” before he vanished without a trace.
Daylenn Pua, 18, set out alone to climb the Haiku Stairs on the island of O’ahu in Hawaii.
A high school student from Hawaii, Mr Pua was visiting his grandmother Martha Bear in February 2015, The Sun reports.
The teen posted on social media, sharing his plans on Facebook saying: “Stairway to Heaven. Hiking this insane hike tomorrow. Wish me luck.”
On the day of his hike, his last public Facebook post read: “And the hike begins. #haiku’”
He then shared a series of grainy snaps showing his location.
Prior to the hike, his grandmother warned him to avoid the steep and dangerous trail, while friends also tried to dissuade the then 18-year-old from going.
When he failed to return from the hike, his concerned grandmother alerted the authorities.
Volunteer rescue crews used ropes to explore 180m below the cliffs where he was last seen but were unable to find him.
The fire department focused on a narrow ridge with steep drops either side based on a cry for help reported by two hikers, Hawaii News Now reported in the days after he vanished.
While emergency services and volunteers combed the area, family and friends scrutinised the photos.
And that’s when they spotted a mystery shape lurking in the background, which has been dubbed the “shadow man”.
The grainy image shows a shape hiding in the shrubs, however not much else is known.
Family members at the time desperately asked for the public’s help identifying the “man” in the photo in the hope he may be able to provide more clues that could lead to Mr Pua’s location.
The family even travelled to the location that Mr Pua’s phone last pinged – however his body has never been found.
The Stairway to Heaven
Dubbed the “Stairway To Heaven”, the Haiku Stairs features 3922 metal stairs and has an elevation of (979m), making for a strenuous 16.6km hike.
The steps were originally installed during World War II, during the construction of the US Naval Radio Station.
The pathway spans the O’ahu’s Ko’olau mountain range.
The facility was classified as “top secret” at the time and was decommissioned in the 1950s.
In the mid-1950s, the wooden stairs were replaced by sections of metal steps and ramps.
The narrow steps were closed in 1987 due to public safety issues, but many hikers overlooked the warning to stay away.
In April 2024, a project to remove the stairs permanently began after hikers continued to ignore the ban.
This article originally appeared on The Sun and was reproduced with permission
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