A city operator attempted to locate exactly where the sixth graders were, while a 911 operator instructed them to scream so rescuers could hear them.
A group of 11- and 12-year-old kids’ underground misadventures stuck inside the sewers of Staten Island concluded with a happy ending, thanks to a patient 911 operator who led first responders to the youngsters.
Sixth graders Cory, Declan, Jovanny and two of their friends crawled through an open storm drain at Clove Lakes Park last week, led by nothing but the flashlight on their cellphones, before quickly losing their way.
“We went too deep to the point where we couldn’t get out,” Jovanny told Inside Edition.
Amazingly, the group got a cellphone signal and were able to dial 911.
“You’re stuck where?” the operator could be heard saying in disbelief, according to released 911 audio.
A city operator could be heard then getting on the line, and asking specifically which direction they turned in order to help figure out their location and lead them back to safety.
When rescuers seemed close, 911 operators instructed the friends to scream for help.
A video one of the kids had taken from inside the sewers provided exclusively to Inside Edition showed the moment they were rescued.
Jovanny later explained that the experience was,”very scary and very, like, confusing.”
“They were shaking more than anything else,” Declan’s father told Inside Edition. “They were scared.”
Even though, unlike the movie “The Goonies,” the group of young friends didn’t stumble upon any treasure, they did leave with one valuable lesson. “Not to climb in sewers,” Declan said.
