The New York Police Department is investigating a recent incident captured on video showing three individuals, clad in headlamps and overalls, emerging from a manhole near Penn Station in Manhattan. The footage, posted on TikTok, shows the group pulling themselves out of the manhole at the intersection of 32nd Street and Seventh Avenue in the early morning hours.
This event follows similar sightings that occurred two months prior in the Williamsburg and Gravesend neighborhoods of Brooklyn, which also prompted an NYPD investigation. Sources previously indicated that these incidents might involve individuals scavenging for items of value that had fallen into the city's extensive sewer system, a practice known as treasure hunting. The city's sewer system spans approximately 7,500 miles.
An inspection of the sewer infrastructure in the vicinity of the recent Penn Station incident revealed no damage, according to a spokesperson for the city's Department of Environmental Protection. As of now, no arrests have been made in connection with the latest video.
Authorities have issued stern warnings regarding the legality and extreme dangers of entering manholes and sewer systems. "Sewers can contain numerous hazards, including noxious and potentially deadly gases, unstable surfaces, flooding risks, and confined spaces," an official statement cautioned. "For these reasons, members of the public should never enter a pipe, drain, catch basin, manhole, or outfall."