Daily Weird News Report
The NYPD is investigating a TikTok video that appears to show three people emerging one after another from a manhole near Madison Square Garden in the early hours of 18 August.
The video, posted on Friday, shows the individuals wearing headlamps and black overalls as they climb out of the opening at about 4:19 a.m. A police spokesperson said on Monday that the department was aware of the incident and was actively investigating. No arrests have been made.
The footage is the latest in a series of social media posts involving people appearing to come out of New York City’s sewer system at night. In May, the NYPD said it was examining several similar videos recorded across the city. Those clips also showed people dressed in comparable clothing and emerging during overnight hours.
Authorities have not said whether the earlier videos and the latest recording involve the same people or activity. According to a theory reported by NBC News and attributed to a senior law enforcement official, investigators are considering whether the individuals may be searching the sewer system for valuables that enter the sewage. That possibility has not been established as the explanation for the videos.
After the earlier reports, the NYPD sent Emergency Services Unit officers into the sewer system to check for a possible threat to the public. The department said officers found nothing suspicious. New York City’s Department of Environmental Protection, which manages the system, also inspected it and reportedly found no damage to sewer equipment.
Rob Wolejsza, a spokesperson for the Department of Environmental Protection, said entering the sewer system is illegal and extremely dangerous. The department said it works with public safety agencies to protect the city’s critical infrastructure.
The police investigation into the latest video remains ongoing.
