Young Girls Killed While 'Subway Surfing' in NYC

Two girls were found dead atop a Brooklyn-bound subway train in New York City on Saturday morning, highlighting the ongoing risks associated with so-called "subway surfing." The incident prompted renewed warnings from transit officials about the dangers of riding outside train cars, NBC News reports. According to the AP, the girls were just 12 and 13 years old.

NYC Transit president Demetrius Crichlow described the loss as "heartbreaking," urging parents, teachers, and friends to emphasize to young people that climbing onto subway trains is deadly, not a thrill or game. "Getting on top of a subway car isn't 'surfing'—it's suicide," Crichlow said, extending sympathies to both the families and the transit workers who discovered the victims.

NYC mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani also responded, calling the tragedy "a stark reminder of the dangers of subway surfing." The activity has gained attention in recent years thanks to people sharing videos on social media—NBC found there were six subway surfing deaths in New York City in 2023 and twice that the following year. In response to the trend, the NYPD has begun deploying drones to monitor train tops, and Mayor Eric Adams says authorities have intervened 52 times this year to prevent accidents. But some say more must be done, including making subway cars harder to climb.