Five people were spotted climbing out of a sewer manhole on Manhattan’s Upper East Side early Friday, October 9, before fleeing in a black SUV, according to local reports. The incident occurred around 2:10 a.m. on East 82nd Street, prompting a response from the NYPD and the city’s Department of Environmental Protection.
They weren’t coming out of a subway station or a basement. They were climbing out of a sewer manhole on East 82nd Street.
Within moments, the group, including at least one woman, had climbed into a black SUV and disappeared toward East End Avenue, according to police information reported by New York news outlets.
By the time authorities investigated, the people were gone. But the underground access point had reportedly left behind something investigators wanted to examine: shovels and other tools.
It sounds like an isolated, bizarre incident. Except this wasn’t the first time people had been spotted emerging from beneath Manhattan’s streets.
What Happened on East 82nd Street?
According to ABC7 New York, the latest sighting occurred early on Friday, October 9, near East 82nd Street on Manhattan’s Upper East Side.
Five individuals reportedly climbed through a manhole and left in a black SUV, which CBS New York described as a Suburban.
NYPD officers and personnel from the city’s Department of Environmental Protection responded to investigate.
ABC7 reported that two shovels and two additional tools were recovered from the underground access point. CBS initially reported that NYPD could not confirm the recovery of the equipment.
There was no immediate indication that anyone had been injured, and no arrests were announced in connection with the Friday incident.
But several important questions remained unanswered.
How did the group enter the system? How long had they been underground? And why were they allegedly carrying equipment through an area normally accessed by maintenance workers?
Police had not publicly established a motive for the five individuals in the latest available reports.
The September incident that makes Friday’s sighting particularly interesting
Just over two weeks earlier, another unusual manhole sighting had attracted police attention on the Upper East Side.
On September 23, three people were reportedly seen climbing out of a manhole near East 61st Street and Park Avenue.
The location and timing drew additional attention because New York City was hosting world leaders for the United Nations General Assembly.
But what investigators subsequently discovered pointed toward a less dramatic, though still unusual, explanation.
Two Queens men, identified in news reports as Samuel Reveron and Kevin Rodriguez, were arrested in connection with the earlier incident.
According to ABC7’s reporting on the September case, the men told investigators they had been searching underground for valuable objects that might have been washed into the drainage system.
What had initially looked like a mysterious underground operation was instead linked to the pursuit of lost valuables.
That earlier explanation has become an important part of the discussion surrounding Friday’s sighting, although police have not confirmed that the latest group had the same motive.
Why Are People Climbing Into New York City’s Sewers?
New York City’s underground infrastructure includes storm drains, sewer lines, utility tunnels and maintenance access points.
During heavy rainfall, objects dropped on streets can sometimes be carried into drainage systems. The possibility of retrieving jewelry, coins, scrap metal or other valuables has attracted individuals willing to enter these hazardous spaces.
The activity is sometimes described as “drain diving.”
In reporting published on October 9, NBC New York described how police were examining similar incidents and the possibility that people were entering drainage infrastructure to search for valuables.
But entering underground drainage systems without authorization can be dangerous.
Some spaces have poor ventilation, hazardous gases, contaminated water and confined passages. Rainfall can also cause sudden changes in water levels, potentially trapping someone underground.
And while sewer infrastructure is usually hidden from public view, its operation remains essential to everyday life in a densely populated city.
New York has also been exploring alternative sanitation facilities above ground, including public bathroom installations designed to operate without conventional sewer connections.
A timeline of the Upper East Side sewer sightings
- September 23: Three individuals are reportedly seen emerging from an Upper East Side manhole near East 61st Street and Park Avenue.
- Following the September sighting: Police identify and arrest two Queens men. Reports say they had been looking for valuables underground.
- October 9, approximately 2:10 a.m.: Five people reportedly climb out of a manhole on East 82nd Street and leave in a black SUV.
- October 9, later that day: Police and environmental officials investigate. ABC7 reports that four tools are recovered. No arrests are announced.
What police still haven’t explained
The previous arrests may help explain why some people are willing to enter New York’s underground drainage systems. But the latest incident is not yet a solved case.
Authorities have not publicly identified the five people seen on East 82nd Street or established whether they were connected to the September arrests.
They have also not confirmed whether anything was taken, whether infrastructure was damaged or whether the recovered tools belonged to the group.
And the black SUV that reportedly carried the five people away has not been publicly linked to any arrests in the latest available coverage.
For now, the most intriguing part of Friday’s incident is the contrast between what witnesses reportedly saw and what investigators actually know.
Five people climbed out of a Manhattan manhole in the middle of the night and disappeared in a vehicle. Previous cases suggest there may be a surprisingly ordinary explanation involving lost valuables.
But until police identify the group or establish why they were underground, the East 82nd Street sighting remains another unanswered chapter in New York City’s strange series of sewer incidents.
Published October 9, 2026. Information is based on reports from ABC7 New York, CBS New York and NBC New York. Details may change as authorities release further information.
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