NYC Sewer Scavengers: The Underground Treasure Hunters Plundering the Depths
Treasures lie in wait beneath the streets of New York City, hidden in the murky depths of a 7,500-mile sewer system. The allure of lost wallets and forgotten jewelry drives some to explore these dark tunnels, risking arrest and personal safety for a chance at a find.
Last week, two separate incidents showcased this underground scavenging. Groups of individuals emerged from manholes in Brooklyn, caught on camera after sneaking through the steamy underbelly of the city. Police suspect these operations were purely for scavenging.
Despite the looming threat of arrest, these daring explorers show no fear. No grimy gemstone or crud-covered coin is too unappealing to add to their haul. Over the years, numerous incidents have drawn attention to this bizarre subculture.
In 2015, a part-time city Department of Environmental Protection worker named Marquis Evans led two friends into a Brooklyn manhole, searching for “gold, jewelry and guns.” They embarked on several underground excursions before law enforcement caught up with them, resulting in criminal trespassing charges after four hours of searching.
“God knows what they were looking for,” then-Police Commissioner Bill Bratton remarked after their arrests. “I know damn sure I wouldn’t be crawling through the sewers of New York, but these three evidently were up to something down there.”
Fast forward to April 2025, another trio was arrested for descending into the Brooklyn sewers. Willer Green explained their motivation: “The reason we went down there is that people lose their gold down there. We got to sell it to make money.”
The fascination with the sewers isn’t new. Articles from the 1800s in the New York Times detailed claims of jewels being retrieved from the depths. Criminals have long been depicted tossing drugs and other contraband into storm drains in movies and crime stories.
The rise of internet streaming has amplified interest in these underground explorations. Urban explorers share videos online, providing first-person perspectives of subway tunnels and slimy city drain systems.
After the 2015 incident, former Commissioner Bratton stated that little could be done to prevent reckless individuals from prying open nearly 200-pound manhole covers and venturing into dangerous tunnels. “Entering a sewer without proper authorization and training is illegal, incredibly irresponsible and dangerous,” he said. “The reality is we cannot be everywhere protecting everything from everybody.”
No arrests have been made in the latest Brooklyn sewer treasure hunts. Separate groups were spotted climbing out of manholes in Gravesend and Williamsburg.
Footage from Gravesend shows a man prying open a manhole cover around 2 a.m., stashing it between cars as seven men emerged one by one. Equipped with flashlights and wearing boots and waders, they gathered around parked cars while shedding their filthy attire.
The scavengers tossed their clothes and whatever they found into the vehicles before driving off. Sources indicated that these tunnels likely held nothing more than coins, wallets, scrap metal, jewelry, or other valuables.
Urban scavenging is more common in other countries but remains an unusual yet not unheard-of practice in New York City.
