A Westchester County woman has been identified as the victim of a fatal fall into an open manhole Monday night in Manhattan.
According to Con Edison and the New York Police Department, Donike Gocaj, 56, of Briarcliff Manor, fell about 10 feet into the manhole after stepping out of her parked Mercedes-Benz SUV near the Cartier store at West 52nd Street and Fifth Avenue around 11:20 p.m.
First responders attempted rescue
Police said first responders who witnessed the fall immediately worked to pull Gocaj from the manhole and transported her to NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center, where she was later pronounced dead.
Bystanders reported hearing Gocaj scream for help.
First responders said it took about 20 minutes to remove her from the manhole. Authorities said steam inside the manhole contributed to her going into cardiac arrest.
Con Edison investigating displaced manhole cover
Con Edison said video footage appears to show a multi-axle truck dislodging the manhole cover minutes before Gocaj parked nearby.
“Following this tragic incident, we are continuing to investigate how this occurred,” a company spokesperson said in a statement. “We have reviewed video footage from the area, which suggests that the cover was dislodged after a multi-axle truck turning onto 52nd Street from Fifth Avenue drove over it.”
The spokesperson said the truck passed over the cover about 12 minutes before the incident.
“While this is a rare occurrence, manhole covers can become displaced by heavy vehicles,” the statement said. “Our thoughts remain with her family, and safety remains our top priority.”
City officials also reviewing incident
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s office said city agencies are also investigating the incident.
“Our condolences are with the family of the woman who lost her life in this devastating incident,” a spokesperson said. “City agencies are working with Con Ed to support the emergency response and conduct a full investigation into what occurred. Every question must be asked and answered so that no New Yorker experiences a tragedy like this again.”
Family survives victim
Gocaj is survived by her son, daughter and two grandchildren.
This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Westchester woman killed in Manhattan manhole fall identified
Reporting by Alexandra Rivera, New York Connect Team / Rockland/Westchester Journal News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
