
Man dies after weight-training chain around neck pulls him into MRI machine
Keith McAllister, 61, was killed at the Nassau Open MRI clinic in Westbury, Long Island, after he accompanied his wife, Adrienne Jones-McAllister, there on 16 July.
Adrienne told the local outlet News 12 Long Island that an MRI machine there was scanning her knee when she called out to her husband, 'Keith, come help me up' from the table. The technician operating the machine – which looks like a long, narrow tube with openings on each end – then allowed Keith to walk in while he wore a nearly 20lb (9kg) metal chain that he used for weight training.
Police in Nassau county, New York, said Keith was then sucked into the device by its potent magnetic force. He endured 'a medical episode' at that point which left him in critical condition at a hospital, and he was pronounced dead a day later, police said.
Adrienne told News 12 that her late husband had suffered several heart attacks after the incident with the MRI machine and before his death. She recalled, through tears, 'seeing the machine snatch him and pull him into the machine'.
She said she implored for the clinic to call for emergency help and, referring to the machine, to 'turn this damn thing off!'
But eventually Keith 'went limp in my arms', Adrienne recounted. 'This is still pulsating in my brain.'
A GoFundMe campaign since launched to support Adrienne purported that Keith 'was attached to the machine for almost an hour before they could release the chain from the machine'.
Adrienne told News 12 that she and her husband had previously been to Nassau Open MRI, and he had worn his weight-training chain there before.
'This was not the first time that guy [had] seen that chain,' Adrienne said to the station. 'They had a conversation about it before.'
A person who picked up a phone call to Nassau Open MRI on Monday said the facility had no comment.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulates MRI safety and warns that scans with the technology can create a 'strong, static magnetic field' that poses physical hazards. The agency says that 'careful screening of people and objects entering the MRI environment is critical to ensure nothing enters the magnet area that may become a projectile' and dangerous to anyone nearby.
The National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering, meanwhile, cautions that MRI machines exerts 'very powerful forces on objects of iron, some steels and other magnetizable objects' and have the strength 'to fling a wheelchair across the room'.
McAllister was not the first person killed by an MRI machine in New York. In 2001, Michael Colombini, 6, died when an oxygen tank flew into an MRI chamber that he was in, having been pulled in by the machine at a medical center in Westchester county.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Daily Record
2 hours ago
- Daily Record
Hospital horror as boy, 6, killed in MRI machine by flying oxygen tank
Michael Colombini, of Croton-On-Hudson, died two days after the 2001 mishap at Westchester Medical Center, in Valhalla, which was caused by the oxygen tank becoming magnetised In a shocking tragedy that stunned New York and the entire US, a six-year-old lost his life when a flying oxygen cylinder struck him during a Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scan. The metal container, hurtling at speeds of 20 to 30 feet per second, caused fatal skull injuries to Michael Colombini, from Croton-On-Hudson, after being pulled in by the MRI's massive 10-tonne electromagnet. Tragically, Michael died two days following the horrific accident at Westchester Medical Center, located north of New York City, roughly an hour's journey from where a 61 year old gentleman recently perished after being dragged into an MRI scanner whilst wearing a heavy metallic chain at Nassau Open MRI in Westbury. Officials say Keith McAllister, who lost his life on July 17, had moved towards the apparatus after his spouse, who was having a scan, cried out for assistance. Back in 2001, when Michael was fatally injured, hospital authorities confirmed the oxygen cylinder was "immediately magnetised and drawn to the centre of the machine, causing head trauma to the child.", reports the Mirror. An MRI scanner is a medical imaging apparatus that utilises powerful magnetic forces and radio frequencies to produce comprehensive images of a patient's internal body structure, enabling medics to identify and track numerous health conditions. Following sedation, Michael was positioned inside one of these devices for examination after having a non-cancerous brain growth surgically removed, but whilst inside the scanner his oxygen levels plummeted rapidly. Staff tried to rectify the situation using the suite's built-in oxygen supply, but their efforts were in vain. They then made the fatal decision to bring a portable steel oxygen tank into the room. The magnetic pull was so powerful that an anaesthesiologist had the cannister yanked from their grip and into the scanner as soon as they received it at the doorway. The cannister struck Michael, leading to his tragic death. In October 2009, Michael's parents secured a $2.9 million legal settlement with Westchester County Health Care of Valhalla, as disclosed by a New York court in 2010. Over 500 people attended the six year old's funeral, where his kindergarten teacher, Diana Heaton, described him as "an awesome kid who liked having fun," adding "we're all shocked and saddened by this." Approximately 100 hospital employees attended a prayer service for Michael. In a statement, the boy's family expressed gratitude for ''the outpouring of public sympathy," but requested privacy as they were "unable to make any public remarks regarding the loss of their beloved son Michael" because they had "just begun the grieving process." As part of the 2009 settlement, the parties agreed not to comment on the accident or litigation, although none sought to seal the legal records. Edward Stolzenberg, then-president and chief executive officer of the medical centre, stated at the time that the facility would "do anything it can to ease the family's grief. " He further stated: "The trauma was due to what can only be described as a horrific accident, and the entire medical centre is grieving."


The Independent
17 hours ago
- The Independent
Body of passenger who died on flight from Istanbul to San Francisco goes missing
A passenger who died on a Turkish Airlines flight en route from Istanbul to San Francisco was offloaded during an emergency stop in Chicago, but their body is now reportedly unaccounted for, SFGATE reports. Turkish Airlines Flight 79 departed Istanbul on July 13, and while flying over Greenland, a passenger suffered a severe medical emergency. Although the crew initially planned to divert to Iceland, the passenger's condition worsened, and they died before the plane diverted to Chicago. 'Consequently, the decision was made to continue toward North America rather than divert outside US airspace,' Aviation A2Z told SFGATE. 'Upon entering the airspace over the United States, the crew opted to land at Chicago O'Hare, a major international hub capable of handling emergency landings with adequate medical support and facilities.' Although the passenger's body should fall under the jurisdiction of the Cook County Medical Examiner's Office, a spokesperson told SFGATE there is no record of the deceased or any matching case. Today, its unclear where the remains are. The Turkish Airlines station manager in San Francisco confirmed that remaining passengers were rerouted to their destination, but the whereabouts of the deceased passenger's remains are unknown. The airline has neither confirmed the passenger's identity nor disclosed the cause of death, beyond noting it stemmed from a medical emergency. The Independent has contacted representatives for Turkish Airlines, Chicago O'Hare International Airport, and the Cook County Medical Examiner's Office for comment. A 2021 study found that the mortality rate on a plane is about .21 per million passengers, according to The most common causes of death include pulmonary embolisms, cardiac arrests and respiratory issues.


Daily Record
17 hours ago
- Daily Record
Ardrossan teen unites community for sarcoma awareness month
Georgie Hyslop has organised her second Fun Day at Whitlees Community Centre to raise funds for Beatson Cancer Charity and support others affected by cancer. An Ardrossan teen has rallied her community this Sarcoma Awareness Month to raise funds and awareness after being diagnosed with Ewing sarcoma. Georgie Hyslop, 17, was diagnosed with a rare form of bone cancer in December 2023. It all started with pain in her leg on the way to school. At first, doctors thought it was a stress fracture but after weeks of no improvement, an MRI revealed an abnormal mass. A biopsy confirmed the worst. Georgie said: "I didn't really know how to feel. "My parents were upset, so I focused on making sure they were okay. I tried to keep everyone smiling - if I thought about it too much, I knew I'd get upset." Despite going through treatment, Georgie has devoted her energy to fundraising and supporting others affected by cancer. She's already raised money for Beatson Cancer Charity, and held her second community fundraiser at the weekend packed with entertainment, raffles and plenty of laughter. She said: "If I can make things easier for anyone else, it helps me too. I just want to do something good." Georgie recently attended the Pride of Scotland Awards in Beatson Cancer Charity's tartan, proudly dressed by Slanj Kilts alongside her dad Paul. She said: "It meant so much to wear the tartan. We were so proud to represent Beatson Cancer Charity - they've done so much for us." This Sarcoma Awareness Month, Georgie shared a message for others: "For anyone going through treatment or who has been recently diagnosed - you're not alone. Sadly, there's a lot of us, but there's always someone you can talk to. Stay as positive as you can."