Govind Tekale
A 61-year-old man died after being pulled into an MRI machine while wearing a heavy metal chain at Nassau Open MRI in Westbury, New York on July 17, 2025.
Keith McAllister entered an MRI room during an active scan and was pulled into the machine by the powerful magnetic field attracting his metal chain, according to Nassau County Police. He suffered what authorities described as a “medical episode” and died at the hospital the following day at 2:36 p.m.
His wife, Adrienne Jones-McAllister, witnessed the incident. She told News 12 Long Island that her husband had been called in to help her off the MRI table. “He waved goodbye to me and then his whole body went limp,” Jones-McAllister said. She added that the technician allowed him into the room despite his wearing a 20-pound chain used for weight training, and noted they had visited this facility before while he wore the same chain.
MRI machines create powerful magnetic fields that can attract ferromagnetic objects with extraordinary force. Clinical MRI scanners typically operate at 1.5 to 3.0 Tesla, which generates magnetic fields tens of thousands of times stronger than Earth’s.
Dr. Payal Sud of North Shore University Hospital explained to CBS News that potential injuries from such incidents could include “strangulation injuries, asphyxiation, cervical spine injuries” if a chain is pulled around the neck.
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The National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering states that MRI magnets are “strong enough to fling a wheelchair across the room,” highlighting their potential danger.
The New York Department of Health confirmed it licenses MRI technologists but does not conduct routine facility inspections. MRI facilities in New York are not regulated as part of diagnostic and treatment centers and therefore aren’t subject to regular inspections.
The American College of Radiology publishes comprehensive safety guidelines for MRI facilities, recommending strict access control, trained safety officers, and proper screening protocols.
The FDA MAUDE database collects reports of adverse events related to medical devices, including MRI accidents. According to a study published in Medical Physics, there were 1,568 adverse events related to MRI systems reported between 2008 and 2017, with approximately 9% (141 events) involving projectiles—objects pulled into the machine by the magnetic field.
Currently, the FDA receives around 500 adverse event reports per year for MRI scanners, with most reports detailing heating and burns. Projectile incidents like the one in Westbury are well-documented but rarer.
The Nassau County Police Department confirmed an investigation is ongoing, stating there appears to be no criminality involved in what they classify as an accident. Nassau Open MRI has declined to comment on the incident.
This tragedy underscores the critical importance of following established safety protocols in medical imaging facilities, including proper screening, access control, and staff training.
In a similar historical case, a 6-year-old boy died in 2001 at Westchester Medical Center when an oxygen tank was drawn into the scanner and struck his head, demonstrating the longstanding nature of these safety concerns.
