Man dies after being pulled into MRI machine while wearing metal chain
Keith McAllister, 61, was fatally injured on Wednesday, July 16, during a visit to Nassau Open MRI in Westbury, New York. His wife, Adrienne Jones-McAllister, was present when the horrifying event unfolded.
Adrienne, who was undergoing an MRI scan on her knee, asked a technician to bring her husband into the room to help her up afterward. At the time, Keith was wearing a heavy metallic chain around his neck — something he often used for weight training.
Despite the chain, Adrienne said he was allowed into the scanning room. Moments later, the powerful magnetic force of the MRI machine pulled him in. MRI scan stock photo. Pic: Getty Images
'In that instant, the machine switched him around, pulled him in, and he hit the MRI', Adrienne told News 12 Long Island.
She and the technician attempted to free him, but it was too late. Police received a 911 call just after 4:30 p.m., reporting that a man had suffered a 'medical episode' after being caught in the MRI. Two days later, it was confirmed that Keith had died from his injuries. A hospital physician officially declared him deceased.
Adrienne says this wasn't the first time the couple had visited the facility, nor the first time staff had seen Keith's chain.
'They had a conversation about it before, 'Oh, that's a big chain,'' she alleged. View this post on Instagram
A post shared by News 12 New York (@news12)
MRI machines, while crucial for diagnostics and treatment, are known to pose serious risks due to the strength of their magnetic fields. According to the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering, the magnets inside an MRI are 'strong enough to fling a wheelchair across the room.'
In the UK and Ireland, strict safety guidelines advise all patients to remove metal items, including jewelry, piercings, watches, and hearing aids, before entering MRI suites.
Adrienne, who says she loved her husband 'so much,' is still grappling with the shock of the accident.
'He waved goodbye to me, and his whole body went limp,' she said. 'I'm still trying to wrap my head around the thing.'
The Nassau County Police Department has launched an investigation into the circumstances surrounding Keith McAllister's death.
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