Man sucked into MRI machine after entering room wearing chain, dies of injuries

Not heeding to protocols while a Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scan is being done can cost your life. Yes, in a rather unusual incident, a man was critically injured after he was sucked into an MRI machine in a hospital in Long Island, New York. The 61-year-old man was wearing a large metallic chain around his neck when the incident happened, reported CNN, citing the police.

"The man entered an unauthorized Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) room while the scan was in progress," said the police in a press release on Wednesday.

"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," the police added.

The incident on Wednesday afternoon highlights the importance of checking for any metallic objects on ones body before going near the powerful magnets used in the Magnetic Resonance Imaging or the MRI machines.

A day after Nassau County police, which is investigating the incident, said he was pulled into the MRI machine, the 61-year-old man whose name was not released succumbed to his injuries on Thursday (July 17).

An investigation into the case is underway, police said.

The MRI machine uses technology that relies on powerful magnets to stimulate protons within a patient, who is placed inside the machine, and give detailed images of the patient’s anatomy. Due to the magnetic field of the machine, patients are advised to remove jewelry and other metal objects prior to getting the scan.

A similar incident was reported in 2001 when a six-year-old boy died of a fractured skull at a New York City medical centre, reported BBC. While the boy was undergoing an MRI scan the machine's powerful magnetic force propelled an oxygen tank across the room injuring him.