NEW YORK (PIX11) — A mystery is unfolding beneath New York City streets after multiple groups of people were caught on camera emerging from sewer systems over the weekend in Brooklyn and Queens.
Neighbors have been talking for days about reports of people entering and exiting manholes in two Brooklyn neighborhoods and, more recently, in Queens. Police continue to investigate the incidents.
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The heavy steel manhole covers involved can weigh between 200 and 300 pounds, depending on their diameter and thickness.
Workers and residents along McDonald Avenue near Colin Place in the Gravesend section of Brooklyn have been closely watching the street.
“I want to know what they’re looking for down there,” said one neighbor.
Another resident suggested the activity could simply involve teens or adults exploring or messing around.
The NYPD and New York City Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) are taking the reports seriously. Police and DEP crews were on scene in Brooklyn over the weekend and responded Monday to investigate a similar report in Astoria, Queens.
Inspectors suited up and entered the underground system as part of their investigation.
Shop owner Jerry Cavers said local businesses are frustrated by the lack of information.
“No one is telling us anything. We are at a standstill,” he said.
Police are tracking two separate incidents in Gravesend and Williamsburg that occurred Thursday and Friday mornings. A third report, accompanied by surveillance video from Astoria, surfaced Monday.
Video footage and witness accounts describe groups of approximately six people entering and exiting New York City’s sewer network. The individuals reportedly spent several hours underground during the early morning hours.
Authorities from the NYPD’s Emergency Service Unit and the city’s Department of Environmental Protection conducted inspections at the reported locations. Officials said they found no damage to sewer infrastructure and no immediate safety hazards.
Entering the sewer system is both illegal and dangerous. Investigators have not said whether the incidents are connected or whether anything was removed or stolen, including copper wire or other materials.
The NYPD said there is no cause for alarm at this time.
The DEP said it has inspected the sewer system at the identified Brooklyn locations and confirmed that the infrastructure remains safe.
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“DEP works closely with our public safety partners to help ensure the safety and security of critical infrastructure throughout New York City,” a spokesperson said in a statement. “Entering the sewer system is both illegal and extremely dangerous. Sewers can contain numerous hazards, including noxious and potentially deadly gases, unstable surfaces, flooding risks, and confined spaces. For these reasons, members of the public should never enter a pipe, drain, catch basin, manhole, or outfall.”
Authorities encourage anyone who witnesses suspicious activity to report it by calling 911.
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