Jakupovic compared these men to the Ninja Turtles<\/a>, referencing comic book characters who live in the New York City sewer system.<\/p>\n \u201cThree random guys walking around in a strange suit. Open the sewer, go in like the Ninja Turtles,\u201d Jakupovic said.<\/p>\n This was the first of three unexplained sewer incidents reported in Brooklyn and Queens since early May.<\/p>\n What is causing people to descend into underground manholes in the middle of the night? What are they doing in the hours they are down there? And why has this odd phenomenon been happening for centuries?<\/p>\n The mystery remains as officials continue to investigate, but some theories have been put forward.<\/p>\n Multiple groups have been seen popping in and out of manholes, some with shovels and headlamps in hand This undated photo provided by Steve Duncan shows the Tibbetts Brook sewer in the Bronx borough of New York. | Steve Duncan via the Associated Press<\/p>\n Following the incident Jakupovic witnessed on May 5, more than a dozen people, none of whom are affiliated with public works crews, were seen exiting two manholes in Brooklyn on May 29.<\/p>\n One group of at least seven people were seen entering the sewers around 11 p.m. on May 28 and emerged around 2 a.m. the following day, May 29, authorities said<\/a>. All of them appeared to be wearing coveralls or other protective clothing, which they quickly changed out of.<\/p>\n Another group was seen entering a manhole 8 miles away around 1 a.m. on May 29 and climbed out just before 4 a.m. At least three of the men were carrying shovels and all were carrying or wearing headlamps. The men immediately escaped in a vehicle.<\/p>\n Investigators have not linked the two incidents.<\/p>\n NYPD and other agencies investigated the area following the sighting and said the area was safe. No nefarious items or damage to the sewer system was found during the investigation, according to<\/a> a senior law enforcement official.<\/p>\n Anthony Purdie, a Brooklyn resident, said the men must have motivation beyond \u201csimple curiosity.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThey look like they were looking for something important, like money, or for doing some type of hurting,\u201d Purdie told The Associated Press<\/a>. \u201cAin\u2019t no fun and games. I mean, seven grown adults going down there? Got to be something, man.\u201d<\/p>\n Police say the leading theory is that the group is searching for items of value that may have been lost in the sewage.<\/p>\n Odd activity has been taking places in New York sewers for centuries Norwegian adventurer Erling Kagge wades down a sewer tunnel beneath New York City’s Canal Street in Dec. 2011. | Steve Duncan via the Associated Press<\/p>\n This is not the first time suspicious activity has been detected in New York\u2019s sewer system. Exploration of New York manholes dates back to the 1800s, according to a series of articles<\/a> by The New York Times that tell stories of the sewers filled with escaped convicts, missing pets, drugs, gems and even unopened mail dumped by temporary postal workers.<\/p>\n In 2015<\/a>, a city worker and two friends were given criminal trespassing charges for descending into a Brooklyn manhole to look for \u201cgold, jewelry and guns.\u201d<\/p>\n Three men were arrested in April 2025<\/a> for entering the Brooklyn sewers. Willer Green, one of the arrested men, told police at the time, \u201cThe reason we went down there is that people lose their gold there. We got to sell it to make money.\u201d<\/p>\n Unusual activity extends beyond just exploration.<\/p>\n Manhole cover theft was on the rise in 2012<\/a> in Brooklyn, Queens and the Bronx. More than 30 manhole covers went missing between March and May, some weighing as much as 300 pounds. Normally, only two or three manhole covers go missing in a single year.<\/p>\n A 2022<\/a> manhole cover explosion in Times Square caused chaos as people screamed and ran from the sight. Firefighters from the New York City Fire Department arrived on the scene to find three manholes on fire.<\/p>\n Most recently, the sewer system was the unplanned destination<\/a> of 70 teen girls on a school field trip in Nyack, New York, on Wednesday. The students entered a drainage culvert near Nyack\u2019s central business district. Later, a police officer from Orangetown saw them exiting an alley sewer grate and alerted local authorities. All of the girls exited safely and without serious injury.<\/p>\n Officials warn about the dangers of \u2018sewer scavenger hunts\u2019 This 2008 photo provided. by Steve Duncan, water flows through a sewer tunnel in the borough of Manhattan in New York. | Steve Duncan via the Associated Press<\/p>\n Sewage often contains<\/a> bacteria, viruses and parasites that can cause severe illness. Sewers also pose risks<\/a> such as low levels of oxygen, confined spaces and possible electric shock.<\/p>\n \u201cEntering the sewer system is both illegal and extremely dangerous,\u201d said<\/a> a spokesperson for the city\u2019s Department of Environmental Protection. \u201cMembers of the public should never enter a pipe, drain, catch basin, manhole, or outfall.\u201d<\/p>\n Council Member Susan Zhuange said sewers are \u201cnot a place anyone should ever enter.\u201d<\/p>\n![\"Brooklyn](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/daf63e19a6af00275b57dccea38ad8cc.jpeg\"\/)
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