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NEW YORK, New York (WCBS) — New video shows people climbing out of a manhole in Midtown Manhattan, the latest of several similar incidents across New York City.
Three people were seen emerging from a manhole after 4 a.m. Aug. 18. It happened on Seventh Avenue across from Madison Square Garden and Penn Station.
The man who filmed the video said there were at least five people who came out, but he caught the last three.
“I was kind of in shock that this was real, and it was something I was really witnessing cause it’s usually something you see on TV or something,” he said.
He said he didn’t see them leave with anything in their hands, but “they looked professional, like they knew what they were doing.”
Back in May, similar incidents took place with people wearing waders and using headlamps and car lights to guide them. It happened in Flatbush, Williamsburg and Queens.
Police sources say these may be treasure hunters or urban explorers. They said they don’t believe there’s any connection to terrorism.
The city’s Department of Environmental Protection said it inspected the sewers at the Midtown location. They said the infrastructure is safe, but entering the sewer system is illegal and 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,” a statement read.
The NYPD said they are actively investigating the incident.
No arrests have been made in this incident. In July, two people were arrested after one of the May manhole incidents in Brooklyn and charged with criminal trespass. In a similar 2025 incident in Brooklyn, several men faced criminal mischief and burglary charges after they were caught climbing into a manhole.
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