A61-year-old man has died after being violently pulled into an active MRI machine at a diagnostic imaging center in Long Island, authorities said.
The incident occurred Wednesday afternoon at Nassau Open MRI, a facility in Westbury that specializes in magnetic resonance imaging, including “open MRI” procedures. According to Nassau County Police, the man was wearing a large metal chain around his neck when he entered a room where a scan was already in progress. The chain was caught in the magnetic field and pulled him toward the machine with fatal force.
He was found critically injured at the scene following a 911 call and transported to a nearby hospital, where he died hours later. His identity has not been released.
Authorities are still investigating how the man was able to access what police described as an “unauthorized” area while the machine was active. It remains unclear whether he was a patient, visitor, or staff member.
Officials have not confirmed the exact nature of the metallic object, described alternately as a chain or necklace, nor why it was not removed prior to his approach to the machine.
The facility has not issued a public statement. Several media outlets, including ABC News, said they had attempted to reach staff at Nassau Open MRI for comment but received no response.
The incident has raised new questions about safety protocols and supervision in imaging facilities. MRI machines operate using magnetic fields up to 60,000 times stronger than the Earth’s magnetic field. Even small metal objects — such as keys, jewelry, or phones — can become dangerous projectiles if brought into the scanning room. For that reason, patients and anyone entering an MRI suite are required to remove all metallic items beforehand.
It remains unclear whether the facility’s standard safety measures were in place or breached at the time of the incident. The investigation is ongoing.
