Man dies after being pulled into MRI machine while wearing metal chain: Police
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Source: ABC News
A 61-year-old man who suffered critical injuries after being pulled into an MRI machine while wearing a metal chain has died, police said Friday.
The incident occurred Wednesday afternoon at a medical building in Westbury, New York, according to the Nassau County Police Department.
Officers responded to Nassau Open MRI following a 911 call and were informed that the man "entered an unauthorized Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) room while the scan was in progress," the police department said in a statement.
"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," police said.
Read more: https://abcnews.go.com/US/man-mri-machine-metal-chain-dies-new-york/story?id=123879288

no_hypocrisy
(52,355 posts)because he heard the subject inside screaming in pain or fear. He just wasn't thinking.
Karma13612
(4,787 posts)Where did you read or hear that? About the patient screaming and the chain-wearer running to join them.
no_hypocrisy
(52,355 posts)Officials said the man was not a patient but was accompanying someone else who was to undergo a medical scan, ABC reported.
Witnesses told CBS the man defied orders to stay out of the MRI room because his relative was screaming in pain.
https://nypost.com/2025/07/18/us-news/long-island-man-dies-after-getting-sucked-into-mri-machine-while-wearing-large-metal-chain/
https://nypost.com/author/shane-galvin/
Karma13612
(4,787 posts)58Sunliner
(5,886 posts)Orrex
(65,569 posts)Unauthorized?
bluedigger
(17,272 posts)Let's be charitable and call it poor AI editing.
Orrex
(65,569 posts)I couldn't get past the image of a seedy, back-alley MRI clinic run out of some vehicle chop shop.
Think. Again.
(22,428 posts)...take a look at the place in the video in the linked article.
GoneOffShore
(17,855 posts)Martin68
(26,182 posts)about the meaning is about. Perhaps if people remembered to use context while reading it might improve reading comprehension.
Karma13612
(4,787 posts)He entered the MRI room unauthorized. Meaning he wasnt supposed to be in there.
I reviewed this article and noted that it was a standalone MRI outpatient clinic. I am thinking that it MIGHT not have been up to code. In the hospital setting, the MRI room is usually well ensconced behind many doors and levels of security. This includes signage, humans and key card/code doors.
These stand alone outpatient MRI clinics are filling a need, but obviously have to try to make a profit. Sometimes, not always, safety is sacrificed. And of course, the person doing the unauthorized entry was contributing to their own misfortune.
Orrex
(65,569 posts)Dr. T
(309 posts)There are three zones, each more concerning than the last. I've got a lot of stories.
The last line of defense is the technologists. But if this idiot rushed the door, there wouldn't be anything that the technologists could've done. Fuck around and find out.
Do something a little bit stupid, and you break an arm. Do something a lot stupid, and you die.
mgardener
(2,102 posts)Or staff, you are not authorized to be in the room for the very reason we are discussing.
No metal allowed!
Orrex
(65,569 posts)but the phrasing of the article made it sound like the MRI itself was unauthorized.
chouchou
(2,158 posts)I have a 4 gold fillings in my teeth..2 on each side. Would that be dangerous, regarding like that dude?
hatrack
(63,031 posts).
chouchou
(2,158 posts)Bengus81
(9,028 posts)LostOne4Ever
(9,690 posts)In fact that is one test people use to see if something is pure or counterfeit silver. They put it under a magnet and if it sticks its not pure silver.
erronis
(20,662 posts)containing iron or other magnetic material........
But from our fine folks at reddit: "Magnetic metals are not used in < 24k gold. The non-gold alloy is generally some mix of silver, nickel, palladium, zinc and/or copper. "
chouchou
(2,158 posts)
Bengus81
(9,028 posts)in 2011 and was shoved into one of those tube types with padding around me so I wouldn't move. I never thought I was all that claustrophobic but I found out that day I was to a certain extent.
Damn................
chouchou
(2,158 posts)He said "Take a long deep breath and imagine you're going to play "Very small casket deeply buried alive"
Jesus christ!
Bengus81
(9,028 posts)was being able to look over my left shoulder and see part of the room. Then the tech says that first one came out fuzzy for some reason. We have to do it again. OMG................
JustABozoOnThisBus
(24,235 posts).... and then someone starts beating on the drum with a baseball bat.
They gave me plastic "earphones" to muffle the sound, and it was still loud.
Karma13612
(4,787 posts)If you are worried about this accidentally happening to you, realize that under normal circumstances, there are many safeguards in place to prevent mishaps.
I cant speak for these free-standing MRI outpatient clinics.
But as a retired medical coder who worked in the hospital environment for years, the levels of safety are numerous.
As a potential patient who will need to get an MRI, you are asked numerous questions to verify if you have any metal objects in your body or on your clothes. In some places, you are asked to change in to safe hospital provided garments with no metal. Women are told remove their bras. You take off rings and any other jewelry. In some places, they utilize metal detectors. If your fillings are an issue, it will be determined how to proceed. I thought fillings were made with non-metal components. Not sure about gold. It is metal tho! Right?
Now, continuing on with my scenario: As a casual person who accompanied the MRI patient, you would not be allowed anywhere near the suite. There is signage, humans and physical barriers like locked doors to limit unauthorized access.
I think this specific incident COULD have been because they didnt have adequate safe guards to keep people out of the suite. But, I cant say for sure. Once back up and running, Im sure this free-standing clinic will be operating a tighter ship. Possibly with a few new staff to replace some staff who might have been let go.
TexasBushwhacker
(20,940 posts)of lead and mercury.
dhol82
(9,580 posts)Lead would be too soft. However it was used in the 18th century.
chouchou
(2,158 posts)
hamsterjill
(16,120 posts)Shouldn't the doors in to the suite have been locked.
Thanks for the thorough explanation!
JustABozoOnThisBus
(24,235 posts)IronLionZion
(49,479 posts)because they'll need to check if there's anything magnetic mixed in with the gold.
Things get interesting when there are metal parts inside a person's bones or whatever. They have to check what mix of metals was used if anything is magnetic.
Martin68
(26,182 posts)undergo an MRI scan.
IronLionZion
(49,479 posts)Martin68
(26,182 posts)FakeNoose
(37,937 posts)... including tiny post earrings, and a headband that had a metal staple in it. It's hard to believe this guy got anywhere near the MRI room wearing a metal chain. The metal invalidates the scan anyway.
erronis
(20,662 posts)FredGarvin
(681 posts)Wearing a necklace.
Unless it was made of kilos of ferrous material and got REALLY close to the toroid.
This is destined to be another urban myth
FredGarvin
(681 posts)Not a necklace
Norrrm
(2,445 posts)If he was underweight, he could not be a deputy.
FredGarvin
(681 posts)Andy was complicit in that misdemeanor yo!
irisblue
(35,465 posts)From the these reports none of them made errors, it was all on the dead guy
bucolic_frolic
(51,516 posts)Oopsie Daisy
(6,183 posts)* if it did not break or snap when pulling the weight of a full grown adult man.
CloudWatcher
(2,056 posts)It was some kind of weight training aid and he was allowed into the room!
https://longisland.news12.com/police-man-pulled-into-mri-machine-by-necklace-dies-from-his-injuries
She asked the technician to get her husband to help her off the table.
The technician went to get her husband and allowed him in the room, despite the fact he was wearing his 20-pound chain that Jones-McAllister said he uses for weight training.
liberalla
(10,604 posts)and what was she doing getting up, or off the table --- same thing: while the machine was on ???
biophile
(832 posts)The magnet doesnt get turned off except for emergencies and maintenance.
liberalla
(10,604 posts)It still seems so stupid and preventable.
liberalla
(10,604 posts)I wonder if there was a language or comprehension problem...
Florida Dem
(50 posts)The recent movie Final Destination Bloodlines has a grisly scene of someone being killed by an MRI machine. It instantly popped into my mind when I saw this headline. That is one thing I have always found interesting about these movies - people can actually die in the most bizarre ways In real life.
Bayard
(26,042 posts)I had one a few weeks ago. The tech even asked if I was wearing a bra with snaps on it.
I'm afraid this guy is to blame for busting into the room wearing an anchor.
riversedge
(76,652 posts)Very conflicting stories from above.
https://longisland.news12.com/police-man-pulled-into-mri-machine-by-necklace-dies-from-his-injuries
Jones-McAllister said she had an MRI on her knee and needed help getting up.
She asked the technician to get her husband to help her off the table.
The technician went to get her husband and allowed him in the room, despite the fact he was wearing his 20-pound chain that Jones-McAllister said he uses for weight training.
SickOfTheOnePct
(8,004 posts)Guess I'm cynical, as I question her recitation of events...he would only be pulled into the machine if the scan was taking place, but she claims the scan was over and she needed help getting up. And I've had a couple of MRIs, and both times, the med tech helped me up.
multigraincracker
(36,000 posts)Pacemaker. I wear a medical ID necklace.
LudwigPastorius
(12,973 posts)after an endoscopy or colonoscopy if they placed any endoclips to stop bleeding.
Those things are supposed to pass out of your system after a while, but I wouldnt want to be in an MRI tube and have them take a shortcut through my abdominal wall.
erronis
(20,662 posts)Norrrm
(2,445 posts)Have to use low power MRI.
The high power MRI might tear it apart.
IbogaProject
(4,667 posts)Leave it to a British tabloid to have an article ready. A really bad one was a person was wearing an inserted "silicone" sex toy not knowing it had a metal core.
https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/horror-mri-accidents-necklace-error-35583186
erronis
(20,662 posts)Compelling? Polar opposites? Magnetic?
Incredible stories. And yes, the British tabloids seem to relish in this stuff.
Lasher
(29,059 posts)We don't believe this is Important news of national interest. Please consider posting this in the GD Forum.