A 56-year-old grandmother, Donike Gocaj, died Monday night in Midtown Manhattan after falling into an uncovered manhole near Fifth Avenue and East 52nd Street. Witnesses described screams from below, extreme heat and steam, and a rescue attempt that couldn’t r
A normal night in Midtown Manhattan ended in horror for one New York family: 56-year-old grandmother Donike Gocaj died Monday night after accidentally falling into an uncovered manhole near Fifth Avenue and East 52nd Street.
Witnesses say Gocaj had just parked her SUV and stepped out when she suddenly disappeared into the open hole.
What came next was described as terrifying. Bystanders reportedly heard cries from below street level as the grandmother repeatedly shouted. “I’m dying. I’m dying.” People rushed to help as quickly as they could. Some attempted to lower a ladder into the manhole while others searched for a way to pull her out. but rescuers were met with conditions that witnesses described as extremely dangerous—intense heat. thick steam. and what appeared to be boiling water inside the utility chamber.
Despite the frantic efforts, rescuers were unable to save her in time.
Officials later confirmed the cause of death. The New York City Medical Examiner’s Office reportedly ruled Gocaj’s death an accident caused by a combination of blunt force trauma, severe scald burns, and thermal injuries from inhaling superheated steam.
Experts discussed why the scene was so deadly. Steam burns, they said, can be even more catastrophic than traditional fire burns because the heat can destroy tissue inside the lungs almost immediately.
The reporting also pointed to how the manhole cover may have come loose. Con Edison reportedly believes a heavy truck may have knocked it loose just minutes before the accident. Investigators are now reviewing surveillance footage to determine how the cover became displaced in a heavily trafficked area of Manhattan.
Adding a darker layer to the tragedy, additional reports claim pedestrians allegedly contacted 911 about hazardous manhole conditions in the area in the weeks leading up to the death, yet no action was apparently taken.
Gocaj leaves behind grieving loved ones. What should have been an ordinary evening in New York City became a nightmare a family never deserved to live through.
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