The New York City Police Department (NYPD) took to Instagram on October 6 to share a video capturing the moment two subway surfers were caught in the act by a police drone.
The footage was posted in response to a rising number of subway surfing incidents, including a tragic accident that claimed the lives of two teenagers earlier in the week.
In the clip, a drone spots two teens attempting to climb onto a moving subway train.
However, before they could successfully subway surf, NYPD officers intervened by halting the train at the station, preventing a potentially fatal situation.
The caption accompanying the post warned of the dangers, stating: "Subway surfing kills. That's why we are using every tool possible to save lives."
"When our drones spotted two teenagers attempting to subway surf, our officers acted immediately by safely stopping the train before it could depart," the department said, ending with a safety reminder: “Ride inside and stay alive.”
Devastating Subway Surfing Deaths in Brooklyn
The video release comes just days after the tragic deaths of two young girls in Brooklyn, Zemfira Mukhtarov, 12, and Ebba Morina, 13, who were discovered on top of a Brooklyn-bound J train at the Marcy Avenue-Broadway subway station in Williamsburg on the morning of October 4, around 3:10AM.
Both girls were pronounced dead at the scene.
Witnesses reported that the girls, along with a group of about 15 teens, had been running around inside the train before making their way onto the roof.
Officers later spoke with three teenage boys at the station, taking two of them into custody.
Zemfira’s father, Ruslan Mukhtarov, posted a heartfelt message on GoFundMe, asking for support in covering funeral and memorial costs.
"She was 12 and she had to have her [13th birthday] in just 2 weeks, full of life, and taken from us far too soon," he wrote.
“No parent should ever have to face the pain of losing a child.”
The grief felt by the families was echoed by residents, with some voicing their frustration.
Duran Walker, a local, expressed doubt that these deaths would stop other teens from attempting the dangerous stunt.
"Even though two kids just passed away, they’re going to still do it. It don’t stop, unfortunately," he said, per New York Post.
Subway Surfing: A Growing Epidemic Among Teens
Subway surfing, the act of riding on top or clinging to the sides of moving trains, has surged in popularity, fueled by videos circulating on social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok.
Despite the obvious dangers, many teens are drawn to the thrill of the stunt, leading to a rising number of fatalities in 2025.
The deaths of Zemfira and Ebba bring the total number of subway surfing fatalities to six this year alone, matching the total number of deaths in 2024.
New York City Transit President Demetrius Crichlow called the deaths "heartbreaking," urging parents, teachers, and friends to educate their loved ones about the dangers of subway surfing.
"Getting on top of a subway car isn’t ‘surfing’ - it’s suicide," he stated.
"I’m thinking of both the grieving families, and transit workers who discovered these children, all of whom have been horribly shaken by this tragedy."
The MTA has launched a “Ride Inside, Stay Alive” campaign and partnered with social media platforms to remove videos glorifying the dangerous trend.
The NYPD has also taken proactive steps, deploying drones to monitor subway rooftops and elevated tracks since November 2023.