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A 61-year-old man has died after being pulled into an MRI machine while wearing a heavy metal necklace at a medical facility on Long Island, New York.
The incident occurred at Nassau Open MRI in Westbury, where the man entered the MRI room without authorization while the machine was still running, according to the Nassau County Police Department.
His wife, Adrienne Jones-McAllister, told local media that she had just completed a scan and called her husband into the room to assist her. As he entered, the metal chain he was wearing was forcefully attracted to the active MRI machine, pulling him toward it and causing him to collapse.
Authorities confirmed the incident led to a “medical episode,” and the man was later pronounced dead. MRI machines use powerful magnetic fields to generate detailed internal images, and strict safety protocols require all metal items to be removed before entering the scanning area.
“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,” Nassau County Police said in a statement. An investigation into the incident is ongoing.
Though police have not publicly identified the victim, Ms Jones-McAllister confirmed to News 12 Long Island that the man who died was her husband, Keith.
“He waved goodbye to me and then his whole body went limp,” she recalled.
Ms Jones-McAllister said she was undergoing an MRI scan on her knee and had asked her husband to come in afterward to help her stand. He was wearing a 20-pound (9kg) metal chain with a lock, which he used for weight training.
“As soon as he walked in, the machine pulled him in. He was thrown against the MRI,” she said.
She also claimed that this was not their first visit to the facility, and that staff had previously seen her husband wearing the same chain. According to her, an employee had once commented on it, saying, “Oh, that’s a big chain.”
She described the chaotic aftermath as the technician struggled to pull her husband away from the machine. “I’m saying, ‘Could you turn off the machine? Call 911. Do something. Turn this damn thing off!’” she recalled.
The BBC has contacted Nassau Open MRI for comment, but no response has been provided at this time.
MRI machines are known for their strong magnetic fields, which can attract ferromagnetic objects with extreme force. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has warned that everyday items such as keys, mobile phones, and even medical oxygen tanks can become dangerous projectiles if brought near an active MRI scanner.
This is not the first fatal MRI-related incident in the state. In 2001, a six-year-old boy died at a medical center in New York City after an oxygen tank was pulled across the room by an MRI magnet, striking the child and causing a fatal skull fracture.
The tragic death of Keith Jones-McAllister has once again raised serious concerns about MRI safety protocols and enforcement, particularly regarding access control and the handling of metal objects in proximity to MRI machines.
