People in New York keep climbing into manholes. Police aren't sure why.
Law enforcement agencies in New York City and Nassau County are investigating a series of incidents where individuals have entered the sewer system through manholes. Recent events include a group of five men entering a sewer in Wantagh and three men wearing headlamps emerging from a manhole in Midtown Manhattan. While the NYPD and Nassau police are investigating, the specific motivation for these entries remains unknown. Some reports suggest a trend of underground scavenging, though officials have not confirmed the purpose of these incursions.
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- ✓ A group of five men entered a sewer system in Wantagh, Nassau County.
- ✓ Three men wearing headlamps emerged from a manhole in Midtown Manhattan.
- ✓ The NYPD is investigating people leaving the sewer system near Penn Station.
- ✓ At least four incidents of people entering the New York City sewer system occurred this summer.
What changed
Nassau police began investigating a separate incident involving five men entering a manhole in Wantagh.
Live updates
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Police investigate series of unauthorized sewer entries in New York area
Law enforcement agencies in New York City and Nassau County are investigating a series of incidents where individuals have entered the sewer system through manholes. Recent events include a group of five men entering a sewer in Wantagh and three men wearing headlamps emerging from a manhole in Midtown Manhattan. While the NYPD and Nassau police are investigating, the specific motivation for these entries remains unknown. Some reports suggest a trend of underground scavenging, though officials have not confirmed the purpose of these incursions.
Why it matters
These incidents represent at least four separate cases of people venturing into the city sewer system this summer. The activity has sparked debate over whether the individuals are treasure hunters, influencers, or homeless residents. Security concerns persist as unauthorized access to critical infrastructure poses safety risks to both the public and the intruders.
What is confirmed
- A group of five men entered a sewer system in Wantagh, Nassau County.
- Three men wearing headlamps emerged from a manhole in Midtown Manhattan.
- The NYPD is investigating people leaving the sewer system near Penn Station.
- At least four incidents of people entering the New York City sewer system occurred this summer.
Still unconfirmed
- The incidents are part of an underground scavenging trend in New York City.
- The individuals involved may be influencers or treasure hunters.
What to watch next
- Official NYPD statement regarding the motive for the Penn Station sewer entries
- Confirmation of arrests or citations for the Wantagh group
- Identification of the specific items being sought by those entering the sewers
confidence 90%Sources used for this update (9)
- Gothamist — Another group of people spotted emerging from an NYC manhole
- Gothamist — People in New York keep climbing into manholes. Police aren't sure why.
- ABC7 Eyewitness News — Long Island manhole mystery: Group of five men enters sewer in Wantagh in Nassau County | Video
- 6abc Philadelphia — NYPD reveals new details after people seen leaving sewer system near Penn Station
- Newsday — Nassau police investigate manhole incident in Wantagh amid 'underground scavenging' trend in NYC
- New York Post — Five Long Island ‘mole people’ seen crawling into manhole — week after headlamp-wearing trio emerged in NYC
- News12 | Long Island — Police Investigate Reports Of Group Entering Wantagh Sewer System
- www.yahoo.com — Influencers, treasure hunters or ‘mole people’? No one seems to know what is going on underground in NYC
- The Independent — ‘Mole people’, treasure hunters and influencers: what’s going on beneath NYC?
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