SHE WAS JUST GOING TO WORK

Donike Gocaj, 56, was reportedly walking to her cleaning job when she suddenly disappeared into a New York City sewer.

But what was found on her phone was what really shocked everyone… 👇

Beloved grandma Donike Gocaj was on her way to work as a cleaner when she plummeted down NYC manhole

The beloved New York grandmother who died after falling into an uncovered manhole in Manhattan was heading to work for an overnight cleaning shift at the time, according to friends of the family.

Donike Gocaj, 56, plummeted to her gruesome death around 11:20 p.m. Monday in Midtown, where seconds earlier she had parked her car and started walking to her late-night job with a cleaning company.

“She was on her way to work. She did cleaning — the overnight shift,” a friend of Gocaj’s niece who works near the scene told The Post.

Donika Gocaj, 56, of Briarcliff Manor, New York, wearing a fur coat and sitting on a chair.
Donika Gocaj in an undated photo. She died after falling into an open manhole.Facebook/Donika Gocaj
Where exactly Gocaj was heading to work is unclear, but she had just parked her car on East 52nd Street outside of the flagship Cartier store near Fifth Avenue when she fell.

Gocaj worked for United Building Maintenance, a company that contracts with local businesses for cleaning services.

The company declined to comment about Gocaj’s death.

Donika Gocaj (right) is pictured with her son Armando Gocaj (left) in a formal photo.
Donika Gocaj (right) died after falling into an open manhole in Midtown on May 18, 2026.Facebook/Donika Gocaj
“At this time, no comment,” a representative told The Post.

Gocaj, from Briarcliff Manor in Westchester County, was originally born in Albania, according to the family friend, who is also from the Balkan nation.

The tragic death has left the Albanian community in New York feeling “horrible,” she said as she showed The Post photos of Gocaj on her phone.

Donika Gocaj in a gold off-the-shoulder dress.
Donike Gocaj was on her way to work an overnight shift when she fell into the open manhole in Midtown on Monday, May 18, 2026.Facebook/Donika Gocaj
Gocaj’s son had just gotten married last summer, and the proud mom “was so happy,” the friend said.

“I can’t stop thinking about it. I’m a mother, and my son is gonna get married in a couple of months,” she said.

One of Gocaj’s friends posted a touching tribute on Facebook that revealed the mom had raised her two children alone since they were young.

Bystanders jumped into action to try to pull Gocaj out after she plunged some 10-15 feet down the Con Edison maintenance hole — and hauntingly screamed “I’m dying,” from the bottom, witnesses said.

Con Ed workers repair a manhole cover on 52nd St. and 5th Ave. in Manhattan.
Con Ed workers repaired the open manhole that Donika Gocaj fell into.Robert Mecea for New York Post
First responders were able to pull her out about 20 minutes later, but were unable to save her.

The Office of Chief Medical Examiner on Wednesday ruled that Gocaj died from a combination of injuries, burns that included scald burns, inhalational thermal injuries, and with blunt force trauma to her torso.

Her death was ruled an accident.

Donika Gocaj in a gold off-the-shoulder gown.
The front page of the New York Post on Wednesday, May 20, 2026.
The horrific combination of injuries is consistent with a fall into the superheated steam often found within New York City manholes, Barbara Butcher, former chief of staff at the city’s medical examiner’s office, told The Post.

ConEd claimed that the cover, which was just feet away from the utility hole, was dislodged a truck passing by just 12 minutes before Gocaj fell in. “We are reviewing the details, and while this is a rare occurrence, manhole covers can get displaced by heavy vehicles,” a statement from the company reads. “Our thoughts remain with her family, and safety remains our top priority.”

SOURE: https://nypost.com/2026/05/21/us-news/beloved-grandma-donike-gocaj-was-on-her-way-to-work-as-a-cleaner-when-she-plummeted-down-nyc-manhole/