Mysterious groups keep emerging from NYC manholes
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A series of bizarre viral videos has left New York City authorities investigating after groups of people were caught on camera prying open heavy manhole covers and descending into the city’s sewer system late at night.
The incidents, reported across Brooklyn and Queens over the past month, have sparked widespread speculation online, with some social media users jokingly comparing the trespassers to the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. City officials, however, warn that entering the sewer system is no laughing matter.
Surveillance footage from May 5 reportedly captured a group in Astoria, Queens, opening a manhole cover at around 2 a.m. before disappearing underground.
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Weeks later, similar incidents were recorded in Brooklyn, including in Gravesend, where a group was seen emerging from underground at 4:19 a.m.
#BREAKING: Video footage obtained by Williamsburg 365 shows seven individuals emerging from a manhole at Bedford Avenue and Lynch Street early Friday morning. The unusual activity is part of a series of incidents reported over two consecutive days in Williamsburg. pic.twitter.com/s6sbCbtxyT
— Williamsburg 365 News (@Williamsburg365) May 31, 2026
Aki Jakupovic, a local shop owner who reviewed footage of one of the Brooklyn incidents, said the people appeared suspicious before disappearing beneath the street.
"They popped the cover like it was nothing and vanished underground," Jakupovic said.
The NYPD’s Emergency Services Unit has inspected several of the locations, but no arrests have been reported. Police have also not officially confirmed whether the incidents are connected.
A senior law enforcement official suggested the people could be urban explorers or scavengers searching for valuables, including jewelry and coins that may have been washed into storm drains.
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The city’s Department of Environmental Protection has warned against unauthorized entry into New York’s extensive sewer network, citing both legal and potentially fatal risks.
Those entering underground infrastructure can face toxic gases, including methane, sudden flooding and structural collapses. Conditions underground can also change rapidly, making escape difficult in an emergency.
The incidents come as New York continues to deal with underground electrical fires and manhole explosions, which can occur when underground utility infrastructure is damaged or deteriorates. However, officials have found no evidence connecting the recent sewer incursions to those incidents.
Police are continuing to review surveillance footage and have urged anyone with information about the underground entries to contact Crime Stoppers.
