Three unidentified people climbed out of a manhole on Manhattan's Upper East Side before dawn Wednesday and sped off in two separate vehicles, according to NYPD officers who responded to a 911 call about a possible crime. The incident happened around 4:35 a.m. near 535 Park Avenue at East 61st Street, placing it just blocks from some of the tightest security in the city during the United Nations General Assembly.
An NYPD surveillance camera captured the three individuals exiting the sewer; they left traveling northbound on Park Avenue, according to WABC-TV. A silver sedan was driven by a white man wearing a black hoodie, while a four-door vehicle was driven by a man in a black shirt and gray shorts. No arrests have been made, and the investigation remains ongoing.
The location adds an unusual wrinkle to an already tense week in Manhattan. The 535 Park Avenue address is substantially farther from United Nations Headquarters than a few blocks. The General Assembly also brought planned street closures and rolling closures to Manhattan. For the 81st UN General Assembly session, the NYPD coordinated with federal partners, with Secret Service involvement in security preparations, per CBS New York.
A Citywide Pattern of Late-Night Manhole Trespassing
Police continue to maintain heightened security around areas surrounding the UN General Assembly, which has brought world leaders and international delegations to New York City. But this is far from the first time this year that people have surfaced from beneath city streets under mysterious circumstances. Similar sewer-related incidents have been reported near Penn Station, in Queens, in Brooklyn and on Long Island, per the ABC7 report.
In August, surveillance video captured at least three individuals in overalls and headlamps emerging from a manhole on Seventh Avenue near West 32nd Street across from Penn Station, roughly 30 blocks south of Wednesday's Upper East Side location. The Department of Environmental Protection inspected the area afterward and confirmed no infrastructure damage, according to CBS New York. Back in May, surveillance footage showed seven men entering a manhole on McDonald Avenue in Flatbush, Brooklyn, and emerging hours later.
A separate May incident in Queens also involved people entering a sewer manhole. In late August, five men removing a manhole cover in Wantagh, Nassau County, triggered an emergency underground search by local police, according to ABC7 New York. Officers searched the pipes but made no immediate arrests.
Possible Motives Remain Unclear
Police sources have suggested sewer diving for lost valuables or urban exploration as possible explanations, but authorities have not established a definitive motive, according to Men's Journal. Men's Journal reported no indication of a broader threat to the public, and in some prior cases, people involved told police they were searching underground for valuables.
Some reported incidents have occurred in the early morning hours.
The Real Danger Below the Streets
Entering the sewer system without authorization is illegal and dangerous, with risks including toxic gases, flooding, unstable surfaces and confined spaces.
Although the DEP has confirmed no structural damage in prior instances, unauthorized entries carry serious safety risks. For now, the three people who climbed out of the Park Avenue sewer early Wednesday remain unidentified, and the NYPD's investigation is ongoing.
