A teenager fell into a shaft on the Queensboro Bridge last night while on the bridge’s lower level. Firefighters and police arrived shortly before 9 p.m. and found him trapped approximately 50 feet down on the Queens side of the East River. Video shared on Reddit showed a single sneaker beside a ladder leading into darkness, with the teen calling for help from below.
FDNY Deputy Chief Nicholas Corrado provided an update on the rescue, noting that teams used 10 different pieces of equipment and 75 emergency responders in a complex and time-consuming operation. According to Gothamist, the 16-year-old was taken to NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center and is reported to be in stable condition.
Citizen App footage released to the public showed emergency crews working to lift the individual to safety. The joint FDNY and NYPD operation involved careful use of ropes to extract the person from one of the bridge’s stanchions. The rescued individual was promptly placed under EMS care, as seen in the video.
No additional information has been released regarding the teenager’s motives or the specific social media challenge involved. ABC7NY reported that details about the incident remain limited.
