A routine school outing took an unexpected turn when approximately 70 girls from a Monsey school found themselves navigating a massive drainage tunnel beneath Nyack, New York, before safely emerging from various manholes throughout the village, Matzav.com has learned.

The students, from Bais Yaakov Toras Imecha in Monsey, were participating in a school trip about 50 miles north of New York City when they entered a large drainage system near Nyack’s downtown area.

According to reports, authorities were alerted after a police officer noticed a large group of young girls climbing out of a manhole cover in an alley near a local restaurant. Additional students were reportedly seen emerging from other manholes in different parts of the village. Despite the unusual circumstances, all of the girls exited the drainage tunnel on their own and no serious injuries were reported.

The incident drew attention throughout the community as dozens of students unexpectedly surfaced from the underground drainage network after what officials described as an unauthorized excursion through the tunnel system.

Nyack Mayor Joe Rand said the girls had been visiting Memorial Park during the school trip when they discovered the entrance to the drainage tunnel and decided to explore it.

“They saw the channel, they saw the cave, and thought, let’s go take a look, let’s see what’s in there,” he said. “And they started walking, and they just kept walking and walking and walking.”

Speaking to CBS, Rand said the group traveled roughly a kilometer through the dark tunnel, navigating rocks and uneven terrain before eventually exiting safely near a local restaurant, much to the surprise of owner Matt Hudson.

“I was in my office when I heard kids chattering,” Hudson said. “I thought to myself, where is that coming from?”

Hudson said he was stunned when he discovered the girls climbing out of a drainage opening above a stream behind his restaurant.

“We looked, and it filled up with girls,” he said. “They were okay, but they were talking excitedly. They were happy to get out of there.”

While relieved that the incident ended safely, Mayor Rand stressed that the situation could easily have turned dangerous.

“Everyone was safe, and I’m so grateful for that. I’m grateful to the emergency responders,” Rand said. “But it was dangerous, they shouldn’t have done it. Because it could have rained this afternoon, and if it had rained, this thing becomes much more powerful, and the water could really build up.”

Following the incident, Rand said village officials would review safety measures around the drainage site and again urged residents and visitors to stay out of stormwater tunnels and drainage systems, which are not intended for public access.

For Hudson, the episode was unlike anything he had experienced in decades of business ownership.

“We’ve been here almost 36 years,” he said. “We thought we’d seen everything, but no, no, there are still some surprises here.”