Hawaii officials are making use of an online video campaign that aims to warn people to stay away from Sacred Falls.
In the video, a law enforcement officer cites people who have trespassed in the area. Other officers also talk about the risks involved in a rescue operation.
Sacred Falls is popular among hikers because of its beauty. The place has also been reviewed numerous times in various sites. One of them, alltrails.com, said that Sacred Falls is "probably the most beautiful waterfall" the reviewer has ever seen.
There is also a 2013 YouTube clip of the waterfalls showing a man breathless and uttering, "Holy cow, it's pretty," while he films around the cliffs. The clip has earned over 15,000 views.
Sacred Falls is approximately a one-hour drive coming from Honolulu. In 1999, the state's Department of Land and Natural Resources had to close down the park due to a landslide that claimed eight lives and injured over 50 people who were visiting the place on Mother's Day.
Witnesses of the incident recalled how at first they had mistaken the roaring sound for a flash flood. However, instead of the water rushing, a large portion of the upper cliffs went sliding down toward the base of the falls, crashing down on the people below who were sitting and swimming. Some of the fallen boulders were even the size of small cars.
The department has since posted signs at the park's entrance and even along the old trail to warn people about falling rocks and flash floods. The signs also stated that entering the park is illegal and will be considered trespassing, with a fine of $2,500.
However, the warnings and penalty do not seem enough to stop people from entering the park. In 2014, there were more than 120 cases of trespassing cited by law enforcement officers.
"What people often don't consider is that if they get hurt and have to be rescued they are putting emergency personnel at great personal peril," said Dan Quinn, the department's state parks administrator.
The park valley is so narrow and deep, making it more difficult for firefighters to lower their rescue baskets to the waterfall from a helicopter. The length of the ropes is often not long enough. For this reason, the only way to help anyone out is to hike in.
Sacred Falls is just one of Hawaii's several outdoor places that have been closed to the public. Most of the reviews would note how hiking is illegal and that it would incur fines. However, the same reviews would also detail the waterfall's beauty.
