The daughter of the owner of To Sua Ocean Trench, Gerda Onofia maintained that the world-famous ocean trench remains safe for use.

Last week, some people including tourists and visiting families expressed their concerns regarding the stairs which they claimed were unsafe to climb as they were too slippery and old.

Another concern involves a teenager who slipped and fell from a bench.

Ms. Onofia explained that they constantly maintain the safety of the trench by cleaning it every two to three days including the ladder and stairs going down to the trench.

"We always get feedback like that online and we don't mind because everyone is entitled to their own opinions but from our part, To Sua is still safe as always," she said.

"Yes, there are some lichens that grow around the stairs and ladders but we do clean and focus on the important parts. We can not control nature and these lichens will continue to grow but we do clean the areas people walk on.

"If there are areas where it's unsafe like down at the bench which is normally slippery on a rainy day especially, we do have caution signs and notices down there for the visitors' awareness."

Ms. Onofia also stressed that the ladder is not wearing out as they recently replaced it although they expected the government to assist through the Samoa Tourist Authority (S.T.A.) but they could not wait for them any longer.

Regarding a teenager who claimed to have slipped on the bench and fell into the water dangerously, Ms. Onofia's brother who works alongside her and did not want to be named explained that these teenagers were playing and pushing each other that day.

Another concerned Samoan, Sam Rajiv took to social media to express his feedback on the trench saying it is unsafe and needs cleaning.

"This place is beautiful but I wanted to voice out my concerns about whoever is looking after this place. Please the stairs are not good, it’s safe and stable but please can you guys clean it," he said.

"Get paint and paint it nicely and clean, clean off the lichens which are making the road slippery, and clean the grass, please. This is one of the sites that is making the world eye Samoa but when people come over and see for themselves, it's way different from what is on social media.

"Please clean them properly and use the money that people are paying you to upgrade and beautify our site please To Sua."

Meanwhile, Ms. Onofia and her brother also explained that by next week, they will be installing a new rubber they bought to ensure that no one slips next time despite the caution notices.

"There have been no incidents where someone slipped and died here at To Sua so it remains safe to this day just those small natural issues which we are constantly attending to," Ms. Onofia added.

In June last year, the To Sua Ocean trench was dubbed by international travel agencies and international travellers as one of the "top swimming holes in the world".