The family of a man who was tragically killed after being sucked into an MRI machine have now come forward to make some extremely shocking new claims.
Last Wednesday (16 July), 61-year-old Keith McAllister attended the Nassau Open MRI in Westbury, Long Island, New York, alongside his wife Adrienne Jones-McAllister, who was getting a knee scan.
McAllister waited in a separate room while his wife got her MRI done, but he was then allegedly called in to help her up off the table after it had been completed.
An MRI is a type of scan that uses strong magnetic fields and radio waves to produce detailed images of the inside of the body to diagnose health issues.
Before getting an MRI, patients will be asked to remove any metal objects from their body before lying down in the large tube to be scanned - this can include piercings, watches, or any jewellery.
Keith McAllister, 61, tragically lost his life after being sucked into an MRI machine last week (GoFundMe) In an emotional interview with News 12 Long Island, Adrienne explained how she had called her husband in to help her, claiming the worker had let him into the room, despite the fact that he had a 9kg metal chain around his neck, which he used for weight training.
Although he was not having a scan himself, the magnetic force of the machine sucked McAllister in, leaving him in a critical condition.
Sky News reports that police said that the incident resulted in 'a medical episode' and McAllister later suffered a series of heart attacks after he was freed from the machine, before being pronounced dead.
"The male victim was wearing a large metallic chain around his neck causing him to be drawn into the machine, which resulted in a medical episode," Nassau County Police Department told the BBC."
Three days ago, Adrienne's daughter, Samantha Bodden, has created a GoFundMe to help her mum out with funeral costs.
"While my mother was laying on the table, the technician left the room to get her husband to help her off the table," she wrote. "He forgot to inform him to take the chain he was wearing from around his neck off when the magnet sucked him in."
A GoFundMe has since been set up to help Adrienne McAllister with funeral costs following the heartbreaking incident (GoFundMe) "My mother and the tech tried for several minutes to release him before the police were called. He was attached to the machine for almost an hour before they could release the chain from the machine."
She went on to claim that her father was led into the room by an MRI technician who did not inform him to take off his chain.
"Several news stations are saying he wasn’t authorised to be in the room when in fact he was because the technician went and brought him into the room," the statement continued.
Samantha concluded the post: "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."
At the time of writing, $8,440 USD has been raised out of the $11K goal.
Tyla has reached out to Nassau Open MRI for comment on Samantha Bodden's most recent claims.
You can donate to Samantha Bodden's GoFundMe here.