A 61-year-old man died following an accident at Nassau Open MRI in Westbury, Long Island. He was reportedly pulled into an MRI machine by its magnetic field while wearing a metal chain, according to ABC7 New York.
According to detectives, the man was accompanying a patient and was not scheduled for an MRI scan himself. A technician reportedly advised him not to enter the MRI room, but he went in to assist the patient. During this time, the metal chain he was wearing became caught in the machine’s magnetic field, which quickly pulled him into the MRI, resulting in what was described as a "medical episode." Witnesses reported seeing smoke coming from the facility. The man was taken to a hospital in critical condition and was pronounced dead last Thursday afternoon. Orlando Hernandez, who works nearby, told FOX 5 New York, "That’s insane. That should’ve never happened. It has to be someone’s responsibility."
Nassau County Police confirmed that the investigation into this accident is ongoing, stating there was no criminal activity involved. The victim was not a patient at the medical facility, ABC7 New York noted. Medical professionals have expressed concern about the incident and emphasized the importance of strict safety protocols around MRI equipment.
Dr. Payal Sud, an emergency medicine physician, described the potential injuries such an event could cause, stating in a report by ABC7 New York, "If this was a chain that was wrapped around the neck, I could imagine any kind of strangulation injuries that could happen, asphyxiation, cervical spine injuries if the patient was slams against the MRI, you know, any kind of blunt force trauma that we can think about could happen."
Melonie Longacre, Vice President of Operations at Northwell Health, highlighted the importance of following MRI safety procedures and explained the function of different safety zones designed to prevent such accidents. "It’s important to be educated and safe," Longacre told FOX 5 New York.
