A woman died after falling into an uncovered manhole, with bystanders saying she desperately screamed “I’m dying” as she waited for help.

A devoted mother died in unimaginable circumstances after she “dropped” into a manhole in New York late Monday – desperately screaming “I’m dying” as she waited for help to arrive.

Donike Gocaj, 56, plummeted about 10 or 15 feet (approx. 5 metres) down into the uncovered utility hole in Manhattan after she got out of her parked Mercedes-Benz, police and witnesses said Tuesday.

“She was just in the hole screaming that she was dying,” Carl Wood, a bystander who watched as the horror unfolded around 11:20pm in front of the flagship Cartier store, told the New York Post.

“Over and over she was like, ‘I’m dying, I’m dying’.”

The open maintenance hole, operated by gas and electricity firm Con Edison, was just feet away from the SUV’s door, recalled Wood, a fire safety specialist on his way to work — who said he sprinted over and called emergency services as Ms Gocaj screamed for help from the bottom.

Ms Gocaj’s haunting screams had stopped by the time emergency responders arrived minutes later, Wood said.

Donike Gocaj, 56, tragicically died after falling down an open manhole in Manhattan, New York City. Picture: Supplied

The devoted grandmother screamed for help while waiting for first responders to arrive. Picture: Supplied
They pulled her unconscious, unresponsive body from the hole and rushed her to New York-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center, where she later died from her injuries, officials said.

The freak incident remains under investigation, with several lingering questions – including exactly why the manhole was uncovered.

An American woman plummeted down into the uncovered utility hole in Manhattan after exiting her parked car, police and witnesses said Tuesday. Picture: FNTV
A representative from Con Ed said a passing truck seems to have dislodged the manhole’s cover — less than 15 minutes before Ms Gocaj arrived and parked along the avenue.

“We have reviewed video footage from the area which suggests that the cover was dislodged after a multi-axle truck turning onto 52nd Street from 5th Ave drove over it. Approximately 12 minutes later, the person involved in the incident parked her car nearby,” the spokesperson said in a statement.

“We are reviewing the details, and while this is a rare occurrence, manhole covers can get displaced by heavy vehicles. Our thoughts remain with her family, and safety remains our top priority.”

What Ms Gocaj, who was from Westchester County in the Hudson Valley north of New York City, was doing in the luxurious commercial area late at night remained unclear Tuesday.

Her vehicle appeared to be parked in a “no standing” zone near a bike lane, and outside the Cartier store that closed at 7pm, photos showed.

Wood, the witness, said the 56-year-old woman took only a couple steps forward and dropped into the hole after closing her car door. She didn’t appear to be “distracted” or on her phone, he said.

“You know, it was like in those cartoons. She just disappeared into the hole,” he said.

“The cover was right next to the hole. It was just off the hole … the cover was just sitting there — but there was no cones, there was no barricades, there was nothing.”

Fifth Avenue in Manhattan, New York City, where a woman died after falling down an open manhole on Monday. Picture: AP/Ted Shaffrey
Other bystanders also desperately tried to help the screaming woman, Wood said.

One man attempted to let himself down so she could grab his legs to pull herself up, while another brought over a ladder that proved to be too short to reach her, Wood said.

While the fall wasn’t that far, Wood said it seemed like it was incredibly hot in the hole and that Ms Gocaj appeared to be “in a puddle of water”.

“Like maybe steaming hot water. So I’m not sure, but I’m assuming maybe she was burning up down there. Bad air down there,” Wood said, recalling firefighters wearing masks and swearing as they pulled her out.

Emergency services arrived within minutes, Wood said, but by then he said they “didn’t even hear her screaming anymore”.

Other bystanders also desperately tried to help the screaming woman. Picture: FNTV
Wrappers for burn sheets used to cover burn victims were still visible on the ground Tuesday.

The Office of Chief Medical Examiner said it was investigating the cause of death.

The horror rattled New Yorkers working in the busy Midtown area, as well as others who came to see what happened.

“Somebody messed up,” said Alex, a union carpenter taking his lunch break. “Usually they are covered up, they are protected. I’ve never seen a manhole by itself open – never.”

“This is horrible, it’s a horrible mistake,” said Michael D., 56, who has worked in the area for two decades and noted he tries to stay on alert.

“I have eyes at the back of my head on the streets. Too many things happening.”

Susan Siroto, a licensed clinical social worker, took a taxi to the scene while on her way to the dentist.

“It’s another horrible sort of incident of things that are kind of unanticipated or unexpected, that are taking place around the city these days,” she said.

“I feel terrible for them,” she said, referring to the victim’s family. “It’s something that could have been avoided. It didn’t have to happen.”

Ms Gocaj’s family declined to comment.

This article first appeared on the New York Post and is reproduced here with permission.