Main theory behind what happened to teenager who sent photo of 'shadow man' to family and was never seen again

Here is the main theory believed to have happened to teenager Daylenn Pua, who vanished while hiking in Hawaii.

Back in 2015, Daylenn opted to head out for a hike while visiting his grandmother on the island of O'ahu, choosing to head up a route which would lead him up the popular Haʻikū Stairs.

Also referred to as the 'stairway to heaven, the Haʻikū Stairs were built by the US during World War II in order to allow for access to a radio station. The stairs were briefly open in to the public until 1987 and have remained officially closed since.

Despite lack of official access, several hikers will still attempt the route illegally - with one of these being 18-year-old.

Daylenn Pua vanished while hiking on the (Family Handout)

After being warned against taking the illegal route by his grandmother due to safety concerns, Daylenn agreed to send her regular photographs from his route before setting off on 26 February, 2015.

Daylenn would never return home.

As authorities were alerted to the teenager's disappearance, leading to a search and rescue operation which lasted until early March.

In the years following Daylenn's disappearance people have poured over photos from the incident, with several claiming to see the mysterious silhouette of a man in the background of one image. Take a look at it below:

The silhouette can be seen in the centre of the image (Crime Stoppers Honolulu)

While not immediately visible, the man is stood in the centre of the image and appears to be stood either side on or with his back to the teenager.

The existence of the photo has since led to numerous theories doing the rounds online, with people speculating whether or not he was kidnapped or attacked.

A public plea was later issued by his family for the individual to come forward, however nothing ever came of the lead.

With an absence of any other theories, it's likely the probable explanation is that Daylenn slipped and came off the stairs.

The stairs have been closed to the public since 1978 (Getty Stock Images)

Part of the reason why the stairs had been closed off to the public was due to safety concerns. Either side of the ridge lies a sheer drop, which means that a stumble at any point could prove fatal.

There had also been a landslide on the trail earlier in the month, which made the treacherous terrain even more dangerous.

The theory is also backed up by reports from two hikers in the area hearing cries for help, however the search was later suspended due to poor weather conditions.

Daylenn's case remains unsolved to this day while the local city council would later vote to have the stairs completely dismantled in September 2021.