A group of five boys got more than they bargained for when they crawled into a Staten Island sewer system and found themselves lost in the dark, damp tunnels.
But thanks to the quick actions of firefighters, they were all rescued and brought to safety.
The incident occurred on Tuesday evening, prompting an emergency call to the New York City Fire Department (FDNY) at about 6pm.
The boys, all mischievous youngsters, were reported to have crawled into the sewer system through a tunnel and had ventured up to a quarter of a mile inside, according to authorities.
Their backpacks were found at the entrance to the tunnel, and the boys were nowhere to be seen.
The FDNY enlisted the help of a firefighter, who entered the tunnel on a rope with meters and breathing apparatus.
It was a tight space, and the firefighter had to crouch down and crawl to make his way through the tunnel.
Meanwhile, other firefighters opened up manholes along Clove Road to help in the search effort.
The children had given the dispatcher critical information about where they had entered the sewer system, but finding them in the dark, twisting tunnels was no easy task.
Thankfully, the team effort paid off when one of the rescuers opened a manhole and found four of the children.
Another child was further down the line with an injured leg. A firefighter went down into the manhole and assisted all the children out.
The children had travelled about a quarter-mile before the rescuers found them.
The boys were reportedly relieved to be rescued and out of the cold, wet and dark tunnel.
Firefighter John Loennecker said that the children had been crawling on their knees for about an hour and had only one cellphone light to guide them.
All five kids were transported to Richmond Medical Center for evaluation. One firefighter sustained minor injuries during the rescue.
The FDNY was able to track the boys down thanks to the quick thinking of 911 dispatchers Moises Arias and Marlind Haxhialiu.
While the teams were searching, Haxhialiu instructed the children to start yelling for help as the teams got closer.
"I want all you guys to scream," the dispatcher said. "Call for help guys, they hear you."
"We meet at the hole, I went down, and I saw them about 40 feet down in the tube," Loennecker said.
After the firefighters found the children, they were able to lift them out of a manhole using a ladder.
Arias was the first to receive the initial phone call and kept the children calm while Haxhialiu was able to describe landmarks to them in order to pinpoint where they had entered the sewer system.
"I'm glad everyone was able to work together to rescue these five children," said Haxhialiu.
