NEW YORK, July 19 — A 61-year-old man has died after being pulled into an MRI machine by his chain necklace at a diagnostic imaging centre in Westbury, New York, authorities said. 

The fatal incident occurred on Wednesday at Nassau Open MRI and is under investigation.

According to a statement by the Nassau County Police Department cited by The New York Times, the man entered the MRI room at 4.34pm local time wearing a “large metallic chain” around his neck. He did not have authorisation to be in the room, police said.

The magnetic force of the machine pulled the man toward it, triggering what authorities described as a “medical episode”. He was transported to a nearby hospital but died the following afternoon at 2.36pm.

Police have not released the man’s name. A spokesman said yesterday that the investigation is ongoing and that no additional information was currently available.

Nassau Open MRI did not respond to requests for comment.

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) machines use powerful magnets and radio waves to generate detailed images of internal organs and tissues. 

The machines’ strong magnetic fields can be dangerous if metallic objects are brought into the room, with the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering noting that items as large as wheelchairs can become projectiles.

Patients and staff are typically required to remove all metal objects before entering an MRI room. People with certain medical implants may be advised against undergoing scans.

Serious incidents involving MRI machines are rare but have occurred before. 

In 2001, a six-year-old boy in New York was killed when a metal oxygen tank was pulled into the machine during a scan. 

In 2018, a man in India carrying an oxygen tank died after entering an MRI room. 

Most recently in 2023, a nurse in California was crushed and injured when an MRI machine’s magnetic pull dragged a hospital bed into her.

Nassau Open MRI offers both closed and open MRI scans, with the latter designed to be more accessible for patients who experience claustrophobia.