An autopsy has determined that a woman who fell into an open manhole in Midtown Manhattan earlier this week died from a combination of extreme heat exposure and injuries suffered in the fall, according to New York City medical officials.
The city medical examiner ruled the death of Donike Gocaj, 56, an accident. A spokesperson for the office said the woman’s cause of death was a combination of scald burns with inhalational thermal injury and blunt force trauma of the torso.
Con Edison operates the city’s underground steam system, which pipes pressurized steam to about 1,600 buildings, hospitals, and landmarks to provide heating, cooling, and hot water.
Gocaj, a resident of Briarcliff Manor, died after falling into the uncovered manhole near East 52nd Street and Fifth Avenue around 11:20 p.m. on Monday, The Dallas Express reported.
Police said Gocaj had just parked her Mercedes-Benz SUV before stepping out of the vehicle and falling roughly 10 feet into the manhole, which was reportedly emitting steam at the time.
Witness Carlton Wood said he saw the incident happen while on his way to work.
“It was like she disappeared,” Wood said, according to the Daily News. “I saw her get out of her car, I seen her take a step forward, and then I didn’t see her anymore.”
Wood said Gocaj repeatedly cried out for help from inside the hole as bystanders attempted to assist her.
“‘I’m dying,’” she said repeatedly, according to Wood.
Firefighters pulled Gocaj from the manhole, and EMS crews transported her to Weill Cornell Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead, police said.
Wood said the severity of the heat inside the underground chamber became apparent when firefighters emerged from the manhole.
“[Firefighters] put on masks to go down there, and when they came back up, when they took their gear off, how much they were sweating, it just seemed like it was taxing just to go down into that hole,” he said.
“Initially, I thought maybe she had just broke her leg, and I was thinking she was going to be fine, they were going to come pull her out of there,” Wood added. “I didn’t understand in that moment how hot it was down there.”
Con Edison said video footage from the area suggests the manhole cover may have been dislodged by a heavy truck shortly before the incident.
“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 5th Avenue drove over it,” a utility spokesperson said, per the Daily News. “Approximately 12 minutes later, the person involved in the incident parked her car nearby. We are reviewing the details, and while this is a rare occurrence, manhole covers can get displaced by heavy vehicles.”
Officials said there was no active construction in the area at the time. The manhole cover was later found about 15 feet away from the opening.
Con Edison said it is continuing to investigate.
“We are deeply saddened to confirm that a member of the public has died after falling into an open manhole,” the company said in a statement. “We are actively investigating how this occurred. Our thoughts are with the individual’s family, and safety remains our top priority.”
The Mayor’s Office also issued a statement following the death.
“Our condolences are with the family of the woman who lost her life in this devastating incident,” the statement said, ABC 13 reported. “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 members told local media they were devastated and searching for answers about how the manhole was left uncovered in one of Manhattan’s busiest commercial districts, outside the Cartier store near Fifth Avenue.
Family members described Gocaj as a loving mother to a son and a daughter and a grandmother to two children. She worked for United Building Maintenance, which oversees janitorial services for Chase bank branches.
