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A 61-year-old man is in critical condition after being sucked into an MRI machine, according to police.
The Long Island man, who wasn't publicly identified, was wearing a necklace when he entered "an unauthorized Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) room while the scan was in progress" on Wednesday (July 16), according to the Nassau County Police Department.
"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. The Nassau County Police Department responded to assist the aided where he was transported to a local area hospital. He is listed in critical condition," the department said.
The incident was reported by the Nassau County Police Department's Homicide Squad. It's undetermined how the main gained access to the unauthorized MRI room and an investigation into the incident is ongoing.
MRI machines use magnetic fields that prohibit patients and physicians from wearing jewelry or any metallic objects due to safety concerns. The machine's magnetic field is always on, which means even the smallest objects can become projectiles.
Various common injuries related to MRI machines and prohibited items include minor burns, cuts and severe wounds, though deadly incidents are far more rare in occurrence.