Five children on Staten Island were found in a dramatic rescue on Staten Island that could've so easily been avoided with a simple warning: Don't explore storm drains, kids.
The five youngsters, each about 11 and 12 years old, were playing in West Brighton's Cloves Lakes Park on Tuesday and went into a storm drain tunnel. Soon after, they found themselves lost and disoriented.
Fortunately, one still has cellphone service and called 911 for help around 6 p.m. The dispatcher tried to pinpoint their exact location.
"Once you went down, was the sewer left, right, straight? Where was it, I need you to guide me," the dispatcher can be heard telling the kids on the phone.
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FDNY Lt. John Drew said that responders got to the mouth of the tunnel, which is about a 40-inch opening, and found the kids' jackets and school bags right there. That's when the dispatcher asked the kids to scream so first responders could hear them and reach them.
"Call for help, guys. They hear you, call for help," said the dispatcher, with each of the lost kids quickly obliging.
The five children were in the tunnel for about an hour, and continued to yell for another minute — desperate to be heard by someone looking for them.
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All five were eventually found, with no significant injuries. Emergency personnel responded and found them near the Staten Island Zoo, which is more than a half-mile drive from the park's picnic area, according to Google Maps.
FDNY Chief John Hodgens said that it took a hands-on team effort to make the rescue possible.
"Amazing that the cellphone worked in the tunnel, and that was a key component for us finding them," Hodgens said.
The kids and one firefighter were taken to a hospital for evaluation as a precaution, but all are expected to be OK.
Long story short: No need to go into storm drains to explore, kids.
