Man, 61, Dies After MRI Machine Pulls Him Inside. He Was Wearing 9 kg Chain

A 61-year-old man died after being pulled into an active MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) machine at a medical facility due to a heavy metallic chain he was wearing. The tragic incident occurred at Nassau Open MRI in Westbury, on New York's Long Island.

Keith entered the MRI room without permission when his wife was undergoing a knee scan, said the Nassau County Police Department, BBC reported. "The male victim was wearing a large metallic chain around his neck, causing him to be drawn into the machine, which resulted in a medical episode," the department said in a statement.

The victim's wife, Adrienne Jones-McAllister, said she was undergoing an MRI scan on her knee and asked her husband to come in and help her get up after the procedure. Her husband was wearing a 9 kg metal chain with a lock, which he used for weight training.

Charles Winterfeldt, the hospital's director of imaging services, told CBS News, "It would act like a torpedo trying to get into the middle of the centre of the magnet."

"At that instant, the machine switched him around, pulled him in, and he hit the MRI," she told CNN, adding, "He went limp in my arms." She said the technician tried to pull him away, but his efforts went in vain. She said, "I'm saying, 'Could you turn off the machine? Call 911. Do something. Turn this damn thing off!'"

Jones-McAllister said the chain her husband was wearing wasn't new to the staff. The couple had discussed it with the MRI technician during earlier visits. "That was not the first time that guy has seen that chain on her husband. They had a conversation about it before."

Dr Payal Sud told CBS News, "The dangers could be catastrophic, and it underscores why we have all the safety precautions in place."

The magnetic fields in the MRI machines attract objects such as keys, mobile phones and even oxygen tanks. This may cause damage to the scanner or even injure the "patient or medical professionals", according to the US Food and Drug Administration.