A 61-year-old man tragically died after being pulled into an active MRI machine while wearing a 9-kilogram metal chain around his neck. The incident occurred at Nassau Open MRI in Westbury, located on Long Island, New York.
According to Nassau County Police, the man, identified as Keith, entered the MRI room without authorization while his wife, Adrienne Jones-McAllister, was undergoing a knee scan. The powerful magnetic force of the machine attracted the heavy chain, yanking him toward the magnet and triggering a fatal medical emergency.
Adrienne recounted the horrifying moment to CNN: “At that instant, the machine switched him around, pulled him in, and he hit the MRI. He went limp in my arms.” She said she begged staff to shut off the machine and call for help. “I’m saying, ‘Could you turn off the machine? Call 911. Do something. Turn this damn thing off!’”
The chain, which had a lock and was used by Keith for weight training, reportedly weighed around 9 kilograms. Jones-McAllister claimed the chain wasn’t new to the facility’s staff. “That was not the first time that guy has seen that chain on her husband. They had a conversation about it before,” she said, indicating it had been worn during prior visits.
Charles Winterfeldt, director of imaging services at the facility, explained to CBS News, “It would act like a torpedo trying to get into the centre of the magnet.”
MRI machines use powerful magnetic fields that can turn metal objects into dangerous projectiles. Even items like phones, keys, or oxygen tanks can cause severe injuries or equipment damage. Dr. Payal Sud emphasized to CBS News, “The dangers could be catastrophic, and it underscores why we have all the safety precautions in place.”
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has long warned about such risks, stressing that magnetic fields in MRI machines can attract metal objects with great force, posing a serious hazard to both patients and healthcare workers.Tools
