A creepy photo shared by a teenage hiker before he disappeared in Hawaii could be crucial to solving the years-long missing person case.
Daylenn “Moke” Pua, 18, set out alone to climb the iconic Ha’ikū Steps on the island of O’ahu on February 26, 2015.
The treacherous climb of 3,922 steps to the mountaintop of Ko’olau, also known as the ‘Stairway to Heaven’, has long been banned. But thrill seekers and social media influencers continued to ignore safety warnings to see the beautiful views.
When Pua didn’t return from his hike, the Navy, Honolulu Fire Department and volunteers desperately searched the mountainous area of the Moanalua Valley for days — but his body was never found. SFGate reported.
One of the last photos Pua sent to his family was believed to have been taken on the difficult Kulana’ahane Trail, which they later realized showed a grainy, human-like figure crouching among the bushes.
At the time, family members desperately asked for the public’s help in identifying the man in the photo, hoping he could provide more clues that could lead to Pua’s location.
Daylenn “Moke” Pua, 18, set out alone to climb the iconic Ha’ikū Steps on the island of O’ahu on February 27, 2015
One of the last photos Pua sent to his family was taken on the Kulana’ahane Trail, where they later realized had a mysterious humanoid figure crouching among the bushes.
Pua was a high school student from the island of Hawaii, where he had six siblings and was visiting his grandmother on O’ahu. Family members describe him as an “adventurous person.”
Just hours after starting his walk, he posted his excitement on Facebook, saying, “Stairway to Heaven. Walking this amazing walk tomorrow. Wish me luck.’
One of his friends urged him to be careful as there had been a recent landslide, warning him that “some of the steps” were missing.
He told her he was aware of the broken stairs and said he planned to take a different route – adding that he would be careful.
Another friend reminded Pua that the Haiku Stairs were closed and that if he tried to go outside, he would be fined heavily.
But Pua didn’t seem concerned about getting a summons, telling her “there are other ways to get to the stairs without breaking the law.”
An earlier news article reported that Pua may have hiked through the Moanalua Valley to reach the summit and not up the stairs.
However, many say that this return route is even more dangerous than the illegal staircase.
On the day of his walk, his last public Facebook post read: “And the walk begins. #haiku’.
When he didn’t return that evening, his grandmother reported him missing the next day, Friday, February 27.
Volunteer rescue crews rappelled 600 feet below the cliffs to where he was last seen but were unable to find him.
Firefighters concentrated on a narrow ridge with steep slopes on either side based on a cry for help from two hikers. Hawaii News Now reported in the days after he disappeared.
His family also searched far and wide, traveling to the location where his cell phone last pinged.
Also known as the ‘Stairway to Heaven’, hiking the treacherous Ha’ikū Stairs to Ko’olau Mountain has long been prohibited
A grainy photo that Pua shared before he disappeared shows the shadow of a man in the distance
A stock photo shows a female hiker climbing the steep and treacherous route up the mountain
Pua’s grandmother Martha Beer told the story Honolulu Star Advertiser that she told her grandson not to go on the walk, saying at the time “he always lights up the day.”
Ethan Pearson-Pomerantz, president of Oahu Search and Rescue and a pilot, told DailyMail.com that although his group did not exist when Pua went missing, he and a group of community volunteers all searched for the young hiker.
He said the primary response agency for missing persons in a wilderness area is the Honolulu Fire Department, which was also part of the search.
The tThe rail network where Pua went missing, he explained, is within the Honolulu Watershed Forest reserve, which is about 8 square miles and consists of heavy canopy, valleys, cliffs and streams.
“There are sections where you can see a good distance in every direction, and there are areas where it is difficult to see more than a few meters in front of you,” he explained.
As for the region’s wildlife, he said it is mainly the valley’s pigs that generally “pose no threat to humans.”
When asked about the mysterious photo, Pearson-Pomerantz said he ultimately didn’t believe anything came of it.
He added that Pua’s disappearance was unusual.
“People not being found are relatively rare,” he said. “Without more clues about what happened, it’s hard to guess what happened.”
Pomerantz, who is familiar with the terrain, said survival rates in Hawaii are better than in many other places because of the climate and access to water and food.
Over the years, there have been cases of people surviving for up to 17 days after getting lost, he said. But he added that in the area where Pua was walking there are places where you could potentially get lost and areas where you could slip and fall.
Pua’s grandmother said he enjoyed singing the hula and dancing
Pua was also described as very adventurous before he disappeared while hiking
DailyMail.com attempted to reach family members for updates on the case.
The Haiku Stairs were installed in the mountains of O’ahu by the U.S. Army during World War II.
Over the decades it became a popular destination for tourists and hikers.
The staircase consists of 3,922 metal steps and has a height of 3,212 feet, making for a strenuous 16.3-mile hike that takes eight to 10 hours to complete.
In 1987, the stairs were closed to the public due to safety concerns. The railing and many stairs were loose and vegetation was growing in some places, making it even more dangerous.
A storm in 2015, the same year Pua disappeared, also caused further destruction.
In April 2024, a project to permanently remove the stairs began after walkers continued to ignore the ban but did complicated by a lawsuit.
Mayor Rick Blangiardi said at the time that the “decision to remove the stairs was not an easy one.” Fox59 News reported.