Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
Man Found Dead In Sewage Vat
By
John Del Signore
Published Nov 2, 2011
Modified Nov 2, 2011
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
John Del Signore
Published Nov 2, 2011
Modified Nov 2, 2011
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
A cesspool worker was found dead last night in a vat of sewage at a housing complex in Smithtown, Long Island. Police found the body of 43-year-old Richard Dennison, of Central Islip, around 6:45 p.m. last night, after his wife became worried because he hadn't returned home from work. Dennison, who was employed by Oakdale-based United Cesspool Services, was working at the Avalon Commons apartment complex emptying out accumulated sewage in the vat—when something went horribly wrong.
"It appears that he finished loading his truck," Suffolk County Det. Lt. Gerard V. Pelkofsky tells Newsday (paywall). "Sometime after that, he fell into the remaining sewage at the facility." Investigators believe Dennison's death to be accidental. No criminality is suspected, but they're looking into whether Dennison had a prior medical condition that may have caused him to fall into the vat. He was working alone at the time.
The sewage facility is located on the grounds of the apartment complex, and is emptied monthly by United Cesspool. Reached by phone, a company employee told us this morning, "Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family, and we have no further comment at this time."
Tagged
long island
richard dennison
sewage
suffolk county
John Del Signore
Originally from the Albany area, John Del Signore has called NYC home since 1995. In addition to his thousands of meticulously-crafted bespoke blog posts for Gothamist, his writing has also been published in The Awl, Deadspin, The Nervous Breakdown, and performed at The Brick Theater in Brooklyn.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
New York Public Radio CEO steps down after 8 months on job
Chief executive Christy Tanner is resigning after just eight months at the helm. New York Public Radio is the parent organization for WNYC and Gothamist.
By
Liam Quigley
Published Oct 13, 2026 at 9:03 a.m. ET
Early Addition: Can't stop the sticker bombers
Because the one influencer who tried removing them got dragged, here are your early links: Upper West Side woman adopts a lot of dogs, Big Apple Triathlon returned, "NCIS" lands in New York and more.
By
James Ramsay
News
Early Addition: Can't stop the sticker bombers
Because the one influencer who tried removing them got dragged, here are your early links: Upper West Side woman adopts a lot of dogs, Big Apple Triathlon returned, "NCIS" lands in New York and more.
By
James Ramsay
Cyclist dies in wrong-way crash with an ambulance on Staten Island
By
Brittany Kriegstein
With election 3 weeks away, Hochul and Blakeman to square off in lone NY governor debate
By
Jon Campbell
NYC's taxi union teams with Uber, hedge fund demand healthcare after 4 driver deaths
By
Stephen Nessen
and
Ramsey Khalifeh
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .