Five men enter Long Island storm drain, prompting police search
Police investigated after surveillance footage showed five men climbing into a Wantagh, Long Island, storm drain early Thursday, following a similar incident in Manhattan a week earlier.
Around 1 a.m. on Thursday, surveillance cameras captured five men in black shirts and shorts opening a manhole cover at the intersection of Wantagh Avenue and Jerusalem Avenue in Wantagh, Long Island, and descending into the storm-drain system. Two nearby residents reported the activity to Nassau County police, who entered the sewer but found no trace of the individuals.
The incident follows a separate event on Aug. 18 in Manhattan, where three men emerged from a manhole near Penn Station and Madison Square Garden. New York City police are reviewing footage and using facial-recognition technology to identify those individuals.
Local officials warned that entering sewer systems poses serious hazards, including toxic gases, unstable surfaces, flooding and confined-space risks. The New York City Department of Environmental Protection advised the public not to enter any pipe, drain, manhole or outfall.
Residents expressed concern about the safety of such activities, noting the potential danger but also acknowledging that authorities cannot prevent people from attempting them.