Man dies after being sucked into Long Island MRI machine
NBC5 days
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine by Metal Chain
Above: A Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) machine in the New Territories Forensic Medicine Centre in Hong Kong, China, on Jan. 4, 2023. Image copyright: Vernon Yuen/NurPhoto/Getty Images
The Spin
Narrative A
While this incident is deeply unfortunate, MRI accidents remain extremely rare despite millions of scans performed annually across the nation. The FDA receives only about 300 adverse event reports per year from MRI facilities, demonstrating that proper safety protocols generally work effectively when followed correctly.
Narrative B
This tragic accident highlights serious safety protocol failures at the medical facility. The technician allowed a man wearing a massive 20-pound chain into an active MRI room despite previous knowledge of the dangerous accessory. Basic safety procedures require removing all metal objects before entering MRI areas, yet staff permitted this obvious violation that cost a man his life.