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'They left him to die': Teen who fell down Queensboro Bridge shaft has brain injuries, family says
By
Brittany Kriegstein
Published Feb 19, 2026
Modified Feb 19, 2026
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fernandogarciaesteban via Getty Images
By
Brittany Kriegstein
Published Feb 19, 2026
Modified Feb 19, 2026
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Sixteen-year-old Frankie Allocca's mother said he'll be able to walk again, but it will take time.
Allocca is recovering at the hospital after falling 50 feet down a shaft of the Queensboro Bridge on Monday, where he was then trapped for hours, according to New York City officials and his mother, Vanessa Tineo.
She said he was with a group of friends at the time, participating in a risky activity called “urban exploration,” or “urbex.” Practitioners seek to access often off-limits infrastructure for visuals and thrills.
But Tineo said that after Allocca fell, those friends didn’t stick around to call for help.
“They left him there to die,” she told Gothamist on the phone on Thursday. Tineo added that her son has been “in and out of consciousness” since the incident and has brain injuries.
Police said they arrested and charged a 15-year-old with criminal trespass in connection with the incident, but did not name them because they are a minor. A second teenager, a 14-year-old, turned himself in on Thursday, police said. Authorities said he was being charged with reckless endangerment and trespassing.
The investigation is ongoing, according to authorities.
NYPD officials said someone contacted 911 around 5:45 p.m. Monday. Adriana Vicente, 18, said that person was her.
“The kids with him had contacted me because they didn’t know what to do,” Vicente said, noting she knows people in the group but is not close with Allocca. “They were scared of getting a murder charge. I was like, 'I’m going to call the police.'”
Vicente showed Gothamist her text chain with a 911 dispatcher that night, in which she tried to pinpoint where Allocca was based on information she said she got from the other teens. She said Allocca’s friends had left the bridge, so there was no one to point police in the right direction when they arrived.
Officials said officers initially didn’t find anyone in distress after conducting an “extensive” 25-minute search. It was only after a second 911 call came in after 8:15 p.m. that officers went back to the scene, according to the NYPD.
They were joined by the FDNY around 45 minutes later, who helped them canvas each of the bridge’s towers, officials said.
First responders conduct the rescue on the Queensboro Bridge on Feb. 16, 2026.
FDNY via X
A firefighter in a harness found Allocca in a shaft over Roosevelt Island after spotting a shoe and some blood, according to FDNY Lt. Christopher Gaulrapp. The crew used special ropes and a Spec-Pak device that allows first responders to safely get a victim out of a tight space.
Gaulrapp said Allocca was in “serious condition with major trauma.”
FDNY officials said the rescue operation was complicated because of the shaft’s narrowness: only about 3 feet by 3 feet at maximum, with the openings roughly half that size.
“This was a confined space operation, which is a very difficult, time-consuming, man power-intensive operation,” FDNY Deputy Chief Nicholas Corrado told reporters at the scene.
By the time Allocca was lifted out of the shaft and transferred to the care of emergency medical workers, he’d been inside the shaft for more than three hours.
Tineo said her son would mention his “urbex” escapades from time to time, but she didn’t realize he was being serious.
She said anyone looking to try similar activities should not be so trusting of others who might seek to get them involved.
“Know who your friends are,” Tineo said. “Stop going on the trains, stop going on the bridges. You could die.”
This story is based on preliminary information from police and may be updated.
Tagged
manhattan
new york city
public safety
queens
queensboro bridge
transportation
Brittany Kriegstein
Brittany Kriegstein covers all breaking news around New York City, with a focus on crime and gun violence. Got a tip? Email Brittany at [email protected].
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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