Frantic good Samaritans tried to save grandma who screamed ‘I’m dying’ before falling eerily quiet in NYC manhole
A grandmother named Donike Gocaj fell into an open manhole in Manhattan, prompting frantic rescue efforts from bystanders. Despite their attempts to save her, she was later pronounced dead at a nearby hospital. The incident is under investigation by Con Edison and the NYPD, as the manhole cover was reportedly dislodged shortly before her fall.
- ▪Donike Gocaj, 56, fell into an uncovered manhole on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan.
- ▪Witnesses attempted to rescue her, but their efforts were unsuccessful.
- ▪Con Edison stated that the manhole cover was dislodged by a truck just 12 minutes before Gocaj fell.
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Metro Frantic good Samaritans tried to save grandma who screamed ‘I’m dying’ before falling eerily quiet in NYC manhole By Patrick Reilly Published May 20, 2026, 10:51 a.m. ET See more of our coverage in your search results. Add The New York Post on Google Frantic good Samaritans desperately tried to rescue the screaming grandmother who fell down an open Manhattan manhole — with one even lowering himself down to see if she could grab his legs to pull herself out. The witnesses sprang into action late Monday after seeing Donike Gocaj, 56, suddenly falling from sight down the 10-foot hole outside Cartier on Fifth Avenue late Monday — while hearing her “screaming that she was dying,” recalled Carl Wood, who immediately called 911 after watching her fall.
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