Eight people have been arrested after accessing the Haʻikū Stairs on the Hawaiian island of Oahu.
The hikers, who were arrested on Sept. 3, reached the top of the stairs via the Middle Ridge Trail, reported KITV. The stairs, which the U.S. Navy built during World War II, have long been abandoned, and the only way to reach them is via a long hike that has not been sanctioned by the Department of Land and Natural Resources.
The stairs, nicknamed the Stairway to Heaven, have been slated for deconstruction, and although this is currently halted, several stair cleats securing the stairs to the hillside have already been removed, which makes the hike even more dangerous.
"It's incredibly disrespectful and self-centered for anyone to be on the Haʻikū Stairs, or on the Middle Ridge Trail, when it's been made abundantly clear that these areas are off-limits for safety and natural resource protection reasons," Jason Redulla, chief of DLNR's Division of Conservation and Resources Enforcement, said in a statement.
People who ignore warnings like these and access closed areas are often putting themselves and others at risk.
There are increasing reports of people ignoring government guidelines and putting themselves at risk by accessing closed trails, touching burning-hot water at hydrothermal springs, and getting dangerously close to wild animals.
Guidelines are there to protect people and the wildlife they are interacting with. Interacting with nature can increase our well-being. Additionally, the natural environment provides us with vital services, including clean air, water, and food, so caring for the environment is caring for ourselves.
By ignoring these guidelines, people could cause harm to the natural environment and unnecessary stress to wildlife. In this case, it could put other peoples' lives at risk if a rescue operation is required.
"It is a difficult place for first responders to reach, which could delay medical treatment," Redulla said.
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Fourteen people have been arrested on the trail since Aug. 29, according to the DLNR, and all have been charged with criminal trespassing.
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