Police issue warning over 'extremely dangerous' sewers as men emerge from manholes

Police in New York have issued an urgent warning after mystery men were spotted climbing in and out of sewers through manholes, prompting fears that copycats could put themselves at serious risk. Officials say there have been at least three known incidents involving people entering the city’s vast underground sewer network since early May.

While no injuries have been reported, authorities described the activity as both illegal and “extremely dangerous”, warning that those venturing underground could face deadly hazards. A spokesperson for New York City’s Department of Environmental Protection said sewers contain numerous risks, including toxic gases, unstable surfaces, flooding and confined spaces.

The spokesperson said: “Entering the sewer system is both illegal and extremely dangerous. Sewers can contain numerous hazards, including noxious and potentially deadly gases, unstable surfaces, flooding risks, and confined spaces. For these reasons, members of the public should never enter a pipe, drain, catch basin, manhole, or outfall.”

The warning comes after new footage emerged showing a group of people wearing waders and carrying flashlights as they prised open a manhole cover in the Astoria area of Queens shortly before 2am on May 5.

Auto repair shop owner Aki Jakupovic said he was working late when he witnessed the unusual scene unfold outside his business.

He told NBC News: “I knew they were up to no good. They just looked up, looked down and continued like I wasn’t there. You know, I’ve seen a lot of crazy stuff in New York, but this was really something.”

Concerned by what he had seen, Mr Jakupovic and his staff called emergency services and moved customers’ vehicles into the safety of the garage.

He said: “I didn’t know if these guys were going to come up to me to try to start something.”

Police officers who responded advised him not to confront anyone seen entering the sewer system in future and instead contact authorities immediately.

Mr Jakupovic recalled: “The cop was like, ‘Don’t act like Batman, like you’re not Batman, just call the cops.’ Like, yeah, that’s what we did.”

Authorities say there have since been at least two further incidents involving unauthorised access to the sewer network, both reported in Brooklyn last week.

Investigators are still trying to establish exactly what the individuals were doing underground.

According to a senior law enforcement official, the leading theory is that the group may have been searching through the sewer system for valuable items that had found their way into the network.

No arrests have been announced and officials say there is currently no evidence of any wider public health threat.

However, experts have warned that anyone entering the city’s underground infrastructure is taking a significant gamble with their safety.

Retired NYPD captain and law enforcement analyst John Monaghan said investigators need answers about who the individuals were and what they were doing beneath the streets.

He also warned that others tempted to follow in their footsteps could face potentially fatal consequences.

Monaghan said: “They could be electrocuted, they could be overcome, there’s gas lines down there, there’s electrical lines down there.”

Police are continuing to investigate the incidents while urging members of the public to stay out of the sewer system and report any suspicious activity around manholes or underground access points.