Before you ask – the most important part of this story is that all the young adults in the story are reportedly safe, and without injury.
By Cesar A., Reporter
Nyack, NY – A field trip to Memorial Park took an unexpected turn today after a group of young adults from a nearby school in Ramapo entered the Nyack Creek culvert and began exploring underground.
Everyone was accounted for, no one was seriously injured, and emergency responders were praised for quickly locating the students and coordinating the response.
According to Nyack Mayor Joe Rand, the group – approximately 70 teenagers – had been in the park when some of the students became curious about the culvert in the southwest corner of Memorial Park.
“Some young girls, some kids, they were in the park,” Rand said at the scene. “They got into the culvert of the creek. And they started exploring and then they ended up not really knowing where they were and they got a little alarmed.”
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The students reportedly traveled underground along the creek, with some making it as far as the area of Franklin Street and Main Street in Nyack, while others were scattered along the way. At some point, the girls became lost, confused, scared, or some combination of all three — which is understandable, since underground stormwater infrastructure is not exactly known for its helpful signage, welcoming lighting, or gift shops.
People nearby heard the girls and called 911. Orangetown Police, the Nyack Fire Department, the Nyack Community Ambulance Corps, Ramapo first responders, and other emergency personnel responded to the scene.
Technically, officials said, the girls were not “rescued” in the dramatic movie-trailer sense, because they exited under their own power. Accordingly, the young adults walked out of the facility, seemingly unfazed, with hair, clothing and jewelry untarnished by the unforeseen horrors of the underground.
Emergency Responders Praised for Rapid Response
Still, emergency responders worked quickly to determine where everyone was and ensure that all students were safe.
“As far as I know from the police, everybody’s been accounted for,” Rand said. “Nobody’s missing.”
Approximately 70 girls were on the trip, and all were accounted for before leaving by bus to return to school. Some students suffered light cuts and scrapes, but thankfully no serious injuries were reported.
Rand expressed gratitude for the response.
“So I just want to say how grateful I am to the OPD, Nyack Fire Department, the Nyack Community Ambulance Corps, and other first responders for their fast action and for working together so well, and how happy I am that no one was hurt,” Rand said.
The young adults reportedly did not have a permit for the adventurous field trip, though that issue may be addressed separately.
Not the First Time in History That Teenagers Became Explorers
While this kind of culvert exploration is not widespread, it has happened from time to time over the past several decades in Rockland villages. In a famous incident that occurred in the 1990’s, several teenagers entered the sewers of Stony Point, on an adventurous journey to survey stormwater patterns, and to participate in a time-honored custom at that time, known as “cutting class”.
Although those teenagers were also able to exit the sewer system under their own power, they reportedly were in need of Febreze.
Unfortunately, Febreze had not been invented yet. So, they just went home and cleaned up.
These stories remain one of those youthful adventure ideas that may sound exciting right up until the moment everyone realizes that “sewer tunnel” and “safe recreational activity” are not, in fact, synonyms.
Officials are reminding the public not to enter the culvert at Memorial Park. Mayor Joe Rand stated: “Rockland County has plenty of parks, trails, waterfront views and perfectly acceptable above-ground places to explore. The culvert is not one of them.”
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