HONOLULU (AP) — Officials are moving forward with the removal of a swing that hangs thousands of feet atop a forbidden mountain trail in Hawaii.
HONOLULU (AP) — Officials are moving forward with the removal of a swing that hangs thousands of feet atop a forbidden mountain trail in Hawaii.
The Board of Water Supply announced that the swing along the Honolulu trail, known as the Haiku Stairs or the Stairway to Heaven, will be removed Tuesday. The board, which owns the land, has secured a contractor for the job at a cost of $23,000, KHON-TV reported.
It is still unclear who created the swing built along two rusted poles at the top of the Haiku Stairs, which closed to the public in 1987. Similar swings have been showing up at various trails on Oahu.
BWS Manager and chief engineer Ernest Lau said in a news release that the swing “creates an additional and dangerous attraction for thrill seekers and hikers and needs to be taken down.” The board has assured proponents of Haiku Stairs that only components of the swing will be taken down and the steps will remain intact.
Vernon Ansdell, president of the nonprofit organization Friends of Haiku Stairs, agreed that the swing constructed atop the 2,820-foot summit posed a danger to hikers.
“It can get very wet up there, it can be raining, it can be very windy, and people when they get up there are gonna be tired. So you’re setting the stage for something bad to happen,” he said.
Monday’s announcement of the removal comes a day after a video posted on Facebook shows a woman nearly falling from the swing.
Although the Haiku Stairs has been closed for about 30 years, many people still decide to hike the trail. The BWS is reminding people that hiking the trail is considered trespassing and violators can be subject to fines of up to $1,000.