The man, who was wearing a “large metal chain,” was accompanying someone scheduled for a scan when the powerful magnetic field of the MRI machine sucked him in
A 61-year-old man died after being pulled into an MRI machine at Nassau County Open MRI in Westbury, Long Island, on Wednesday, police confirmed.
The man, who was wearing a “large metal chain,” was accompanying someone scheduled for a scan when the powerful magnetic field of the MRI machine sucked him in, according to a statement by Nassau County police.
Authorities said the man was not authorized to be in the imaging room. He suffered a severe medical episode immediately and was rushed to North Shore University Hospital, where he was pronounced dead on Thursday.
“The unidentified victim was not a patient,” officials told ABC, adding that he was only present to support someone undergoing the scan.
An investigation is ongoing, but authorities stated that no criminality is suspected at this time.
The tragic incident underscores the dangers of bringing metal objects near MRI machines, which use strong magnetic fields during scans.