Investigating a Fatal MRI Incident Involving a Man

An MRI machine is depicted in Pittsburgh, similar to where an incident recently occurred in New York's Nassau County.

Authorities in New York are looking into the tragic death of a 61-year-old man, who suffered lethal injuries after being pulled into a Magnetic Resonance Imaging machine earlier in the week.

According to the Nassau County Police, the man entered an MRI suite on Wednesday at the Nassau Open MRI facility in Westbury, NY. At the time, he was adorned with a sizable metal necklace.

This metal item was responsible for drawing the man into the machine, resulting in a medical emergency that led to his death the following day.

NPR attempted to contact Nassau Open MRI in Westbury on Saturday to get a statement, but they have yet to reply.

The Food and Drug Administration highlights that MRI machines generate an intense, non-moving magnetic field. This can turn metal objects like smartphones, keychains, and even oxygen tanks into potential missiles, posing hazards to patients and medical staff.

"Thorough checks of individuals and items entering the MRI setting are essential to ensure no metal objects enter the magnet's range," states the FDA.