WESTBURY, N.Y. (AP) — A tragic incident occurred at Nassau Open MRI in Westbury, New York, when a 61-year-old man, Keith McAllister, was fatally injured after being pulled into an MRI machine due to a large weight-training chain he was wearing around his neck. The incident took place on a Wednesday afternoon, shortly after McAllister entered the MRI room to assist his wife, Adrienne Jones-McAllister, who was undergoing a scan on her knee.
According to a release from the Nassau County Police Department, the powerful magnetic force of the MRI machine drew McAllister closer as he approached his wife, leading to a fatal encounter with the machine. Adrienne recalled that during her procedure, she requested the technician to bring her husband into the room to help her dismount from the MRI table. She called out to him, unaware of the potential dangers associated with the chain he was wearing.
Jones-McAllister recounted to News 12 Long Island that upon entering the room, McAllister was caught off guard when the MRI machine suddenly switched on, pulling him toward it. She vividly remembered his last moments, stating, "He waved goodbye to me and then his whole body went limp." In a state of panic, she urged the technician to turn off the machine and call for emergency services while desperately attempting to pull her husband away from the powerful magnet, which proved impossible.
It was reported that after the incident, McAllister suffered heart attacks while being extricated from the MRI machine. Despite the quick response, he died the following afternoon. A spokesperson for the Nassau County police precinct stated that they had not yet received permission to disclose his identity until several days later.
This unfortunate event is not the first of its kind in New York. A similar incident occurred in 2001 when a 6-year-old boy named Michael Colombini was killed at the Westchester Medical Center when an oxygen tank was drawn into the MRI chamber due to its strong magnetic force. Following that tragedy, the Colombini family reportedly settled a lawsuit for $2.9 million in 2010.
The National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering has cautioned about the significant dangers associated with MRI machines, noting that they employ a strong magnetic field that can exert immense forces on ferromagnetic objects. The power of an MRI's electromagnet is strong enough to send heavy objects, such as wheelchairs, flying across the room.
As investigations into the incident continue, the MRI facility has not responded to requests for comment, leaving many questions unanswered about safety protocols in place during procedures involving strong magnetic equipment.
