Modern Mysteries / September 2, 2026
Five People Descend Into a Long Island Manhole, Then Vanish
Original reporting by T.K. Randall for Unexplained Mysteries
Another unexplained entry into the New York sewer system has renewed questions about what organized groups are doing underground and how they leave unseen.
Unexplained Mysteries reports that witnesses saw five people enter a manhole near Wantagh Avenue and Jerusalem Avenue on Long Island before carefully replacing the cover. Responding officers searched below but did not locate the group, echoing similar incidents investigated earlier in the year.
Possible explanations include searching drains for valuables or using the tunnels for illegal activity, but no motive has been established. Whatever the reason, confined sewers contain traffic, toxic gases, sudden water flows, and other hazards, making the repeated entries both a public-safety concern and an unresolved local mystery.