Tributes paid to weight lifter killed after 9kg chain 'sucked him' onto MRI machine
Tributes have been paid to a man who died after his large, heavy metallic chain was pulled into an MRI machine as his wife underwent examination.
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Keith McAllister, 61, walked into the Nassau Open MRI clinic in New York last Wednesday while a scan of his wife's knee was under way.
His wife, Adrienne Jones-McAllister, called out to him to help her off the table.
She told News 12 Long Island: "I yelled out Keith’s name, [shouting] Keith, come help me up.
"I saw the machine snatch him around and pull him into the machine.
"He died, he lost, he went limp in my arms."
Police confirmed that the incident "resulted in a medical episode".
Mrs Jones-McAllister said her husband had suffered a series of heart attacks after he was freed from the MRI machine before being pronounced dead.
In a post on GoFundMe, one of her children said Keith was ‘attached to the machine for almost an hour before they could release him.”
The post states: “Keith was a husband, a father, a stepfather, a grandfather, a brother, and an uncle. He was a friend to many. He was on a fixed income from social security and didn’t have much. So at this time, my mother is asking for help with expenses to help bury him.
"Anything will help and is very much appreciated. We thank you for understanding during this time of loss.”
New York’s Department of Health said it was reviewing the incident.
A spokesman said: “MRI facilities in NY are not regulated as part of diagnostic and treatment centres, so are therefore not subject to routine inspections.”
MRI machines - Magnetic Resonance Imaging - use strong magnetic fields combined with radio waves to take detailed images of the body.
A powerful force is exerted on objects made from iron, some steals and other magnetic materials.