A teenager who fell 50 feet into a shaft of New York City’s Queensboro Bridge was trying to perform a social media challenge. The action prompted mass panic and a daredevil rescue operation.
According to CBS, a 16-year-old boy was doing a dare, causing him to fall into the shaft on the bridge. The authorities were called at 9 p.m., but upon arrival, both the NYPD and the FDNY were unaware of the location of the boy.
The firefighters came across an open hatch, which had one of the teenager’s shoes and some blood. Without wasting any time, they attached the ropes and harnesses to enter the shaft and began the rescue effort. By 11 p.m., they were able to get him out of the shaft and rushed him to a local hospital.
🚨 Teen Hospitalized After Getting Stuck 50 Feet Down Shaft on Queensboro Bridge During TikTok Stunt 🚨
🗺️ Ed Koch Queensboro Brg E, New York, NY, 10044, USA
📻 Battalion 45, 10-4. 10-4, and just switched the fire up. Battalion 45, 10-4. Manhattan 2, Division 3. 3, go. You have…
— NY Crime Now (@NYCrimeNow) February 18, 2026
A source told the police that the 16-year-old was with his friends on the bridge during the challenge, who abandoned him once he fell into the hatch. The boy’s father said his son suffered head injuries, but his condition is improving.
To everyone’s surprise, the FDNY firefighters were training to prepare to save a victim from a hole before they received the call. Khalid Lee of the New York City Fire Department said, “Just mumbling from the severe trauma.” He added, “The adrenaline that was felt, it was, it was moving, but this is what we train for.”
In a separate report from the New York Post, it was confirmed that the teen was from Nassau County, but was not identified. During the press briefing, Nicholas Corrado, FDNY deputy chief, mentioned that the operation required 75 first responders and 10 apparatuses to save the life of the boy.
He continued that the rescue was made all the more difficult because of the confined space, making it “very difficult, time-consuming, manpower-intensive.” For the operation, they used “high-angle equipment, ropes,” and had to monitor the air.
TEEN RESCUED: Lynbrook teenager saved after falling into a shaft on Queensboro Bridge.#News12 #LongIsland #Rescue #Police #Lynbrook #News #LocalNews https://t.co/rHm1hDtWhf pic.twitter.com/O3Prl3iaXq
— News12LI (@News12LI) February 18, 2026
While recording the TikTok challenge, one of the people said, “He dead fell,” when the boy fell into the shaft. A review of the youths’ Instagram accounts showed their participation in another dangerous teenage challenge called Subway Surfing. The challenge involves exploring subway tunnels and riding outside moving trains.
Since the incident, the images and videos of such accounts have been removed from the platform. Locals panicked as they witnessed the bridge filled with red and blue lights, because they were unaware of the accident that had occurred.
