Three men seen climbing into Manhattan sewer manhole on West 141st Street
Police responded early Sunday to a 911 call about three men climbing into a Manhattan manhole, the latest in a series of reported sewer intrusions in New York City. The incident is under investigation.
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The story, neutrally told
Right · 1Police were called to West 141st Street between Hamilton Place and Amsterdam Avenue in Manhattan shortly before 1 a.m. on Sunday 11 October 2026, after a 911 call reported three men climbing into a sewer manhole. New York PostR “Police were dispatched to West 141st Street between Hamilton Place and Amsterdam Avenue shortly before 1 a.m. following a 911 call reporting that the trio was spotted climbing into the sewer” Read at New York Post ↗ Left · 1ABC News described the episode as a new manhole mystery on the Upper West Side and said three men were seen climbing into a sewer system. ABC NewsLC “Three men were seen climbing into a sewer system in the latest series of incidents across New York City.” Read at ABC News ↗ Right · 1Eyewitnesses told police at least one of the men was later seen climbing out and getting into a silver-coloured vehicle that drove away, according to the New York Post, which cited an NYPD representative saying the incident was under investigation. New York PostR “Eyewitnesses said at least one of the men was later seen climbing out and hopping into a silver-colored vehicle and taking off to parts unknown, with the incident under investigation, an NYPD rep said.” Read at New York Post ↗
Right · 1Firefighters arrived shortly after 1:30 a.m. and described the report as "unfounded". New York PostR “Firefighters were called to the scene shortly after 1:30 a.m. and described the report as “unfounded.”” Read at New York Post ↗ Right · 1The New York Post linked the report to earlier sightings, including five people who emerged from an Upper East Side manhole on 82nd Street on Friday and left in a truck, according to police and sources. New York PostR “On Friday, five of the mole men emerged from an Upper East Side manhole on 82nd Street and took off in a truck, according to police and sources.” Read at New York Post ↗ Right · 1Last month, Kevin Rodriguez and Samuel Reveron were arrested after roaming underground beneath an Upper East Side hotel where Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stayed during the UN General Assembly. New York PostR “Last month, two men, Kevin Rodriguez and Samuel Reveron, were busted after roaming through the underground beneath an Upper East Side hotel where Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stayed while in town for the UN General Assembly.” Read at New York Post ↗
Right · 1The Post also cited a summer sighting of three people near Madison Square Garden and a September 2025 sighting in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn, where three people left a manhole and fled before police arrived. New York PostR “This summer, another trio of mole men wearing overalls and headlamps crawled out of the ground a block away from Madison Square Garden at 32nd Street and Seventh Avenue in Manhattan.”“Another sighting came in September last year, when three people were spotted climbing out of a Brooklyn manhole at Bay Ridge Parkway and 17th Avenue in Bensonhurst around 4:30 a.m.” Read at New York Post ↗ Right · 1City officials speculate the trespassers could be scavenging for lost valuables such as coins, wallets, scrap metal or jewelry; no motive has been established for the latest incident. New York PostR “City officials speculate that the underground trespassers could be scavenging for valuables like coins, wallets, scrap metal or jewelry that were lost and ended up in the sewers.” Read at New York Post ↗
Every sentence links to the reporting it rests on. The pill in front of each says where its sources sit: Left, Centre or Right when one side supplies at least half of them, Mixed when they are evenly split. The number is how many outlets it cites.
Left1 outlet
- Framing
- ABC News ran a short video item presenting the sighting as a 'manhole mystery' in the Upper West Side, part of a series of incidents across the city.
- Emphasis
- The location and the three men climbing in.
- Leaves out or plays down
- Gives no police, fire department or witness detail, and no background on earlier sightings or arrests.
- Charged language
- “New manhole mystery”
- For example
-
“Three men were seen climbing into a sewer system in the latest series of incidents across New York City.” — ABC News
Centre0 outlets
No centre outlet in our sources has covered this story yet.
Right1 outlet
- Framing
- The New York Post treats the sighting as the latest chapter in a run of 'mole people' incidents, with a lengthy list of earlier cases and surveillance footage.
- Emphasis
- Pattern of repeated sightings, the Netanyahu hotel arrests, and speculation about scavenging.
- Leaves out or plays down
- Notes the fire department called the report 'unfounded' but places it low in the piece beneath the 'mystery' framing.
- Charged language
- “mole people”“mole men”“creepy surveillance video footage”
- For example
-
“the report comes after numerous accounts — and creepy surveillance video footage — showing unidentified trespassers climbing in and out of the city’s sewer system in recent months.” — New York Post
What every side reports
- Three men were reported climbing into a sewer manhole in Manhattan.
- The sighting is described as the latest in a series of incidents across New York City.
Where accounts differ
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Location of the sighting
- Left
- ABC News headline places it in the Upper West Side of Manhattan.
- Right
- The New York Post gives West 141st Street between Hamilton Place and Amsterdam Avenue, without naming a neighbourhood.
Left1 article
-
WATCH: New manhole mystery in Upper West Side of Manhattan
Neutral Brief video item calling it a new manhole mystery and noting it is part of a series of incidents.
Centre0 articles
No coverage yet.
Right1 article
-
New NYC mole people mystery as 3 spotted ducking into sewer manhole
Alarmist Frames the sighting as a new 'mole people mystery' and lists earlier incidents, while noting firefighters called the report unfounded.
- 11 Oct 17:36 First New York PostR New NYC mole people mystery as 3 spotted ducking into sewer manhole
- 12 Oct 00:49 +7h 13m ABC NewsLC WATCH: New manhole mystery in Upper West Side of Manhattan
Times are when each article was published, or when we first saw it if the outlet gave no time.