Man dies after being pulled into an MRI by a metal chain he wore, police say

A man died last week after being pulled into an MRI machine by a “large metallic chain” police said he was wearing around his neck – highlighting the importance of checking for any metallic objects before going near the powerful magnets used in the medical imaging machines.

The 61-year-old died Thursday, a day after Nassau County police said he was pulled into the MRI machine at Nassau Open MRI in Westbury, New York, on Long Island. The victim was wearing “a large metallic chain around his neck causing him to be drawn into the machine,” prompting an unspecified “medical episode,” police said in a news release.

The man’s entry to the room “while the scan was in progress” was not authorized, police said.

He was taken to a hospital in critical condition before he was declared dead the following day. The investigation is ongoing, police said.