An autopsy revealed the cause of death of a grandmother who stepped into an open manhole while she was on her way to work in Manhattan on Monday, May 18.
Donike Gocaj, 56, died of a cardiac arrest and thermal injury to her lungs after inhaling scalding hot steam. She also suffered from burn injuries and blunt force trauma to her body.
The tragic incident happened outside the Cartier flagship store on 52nd Street and Fifth Avenue. Gocaj was on her way to work as a cleaner when she stepped out of her Mercedes-Benz SUV and fell down the open manhole around 11:20 p.m.
“She was on her way to work. She did cleaning — the overnight shift,” a friend of Gocaj’s niece told The New York Post.
Police responding to a 911 call found Gocaj unresponsive inside the manhole about 10 feet down. Gocaj inhaled scalding hot steam as she screamed for help.
Witness chillingly describes how grandmother 'dropped' into NYC manhole outside Cartier store, screamed 'I'm dying' https://t.co/lf8yc8nac2 pic.twitter.com/2Fre0o6ALZ
— New York Post (@nypost) May 19, 2026
The manhole was operated by Con Edison utility. Con Ed reviewed surveillance video and confirmed that a large truck dislodged the manhole cover.
Fire safety director Carlton Wood was on his way to work when he saw Gocaj disappear down the manhole.
“I saw her step out and close the door, she took one step forward and fell straight through the manhole, just disappeared into the ground,” Wood told the Daily Mail.
He heard Gocaj screaming “I’m dying, I’m dying” over and over then there was silence. “She was sitting down in steaming hot puddle of water with her legs forward and looking up, just begging for help,” he said.
Wood and another man attempted to pull her out, but she was too far out of reach. Emergency responders arrived within minutes but it took 20 minutes to remove her body from the hole.
“We are deeply saddened to confirm that a member of the public has died after falling into an open manhole,” a Con Edison spokesperson told The New York Post.
“Our thoughts are with the individual’s family, and safety remains our top priority.”
A 56-year-old woman is dead after stepping out of her vehicle and plunging into an uncovered Con Edison manhole in New York City. https://t.co/bmHUlRa9Vh pic.twitter.com/EICUntPoIM
— CBS Evening News with Tony Dokoupil (@CBSEveningNews) May 19, 2026