A family member of a man who was fatally injured by an MRI machine on Long Island said he was attached to it for nearly an hour

A routine medical scan turned into a horrifying tragedy for the family of Keith McAllister, a 61-year-old man who died after being pulled into an MRI machine while still wearing a chain necklace.

The shocking incident occurred earlier this month at a medical facility in New York, where McAllister was scheduled to undergo an MRI scan—an imaging test that uses powerful magnetic fields to produce detailed images of the body.

According to his family, McAllister was somehow allowed into the MRI room wearing a metal chain, which instantly reacted with the magnet, violently pulling him toward the massive machine with terrifying force.

Once attached to the machine, McAllister remained stuck there for nearly an hour. Family members say he suffered multiple heart attacks during that agonizing period before he was finally removed.

Despite attempts to revive him, he was pronounced dead shortly afterward. His relatives are now demanding answers, alleging gross negligence on the part of the medical staff for failing to screen him properly or stop the procedure before it was too late.

“We are devastated,” said a family spokesperson. “This should never have happened. Everyone knows metal near an MRI can be deadly—it’s not new information.”

Indeed, MRI machines are equipped with multiple layers of warning systems to prevent precisely this kind of catastrophe.

Most facilities have strict protocols: patients must remove all metal items, including jewelry, belts, hairpins, and sometimes even dental work, before being allowed into the room.

That protocol exists for a reason: even small objects can become dangerous projectiles under the MRI’s intense magnetic pull.

The medical center where the incident occurred has not released an official statement but has reportedly opened an internal investigation.

It remains unclear how a patient was allowed past several checkpoints wearing an object as obviously dangerous as a chain. The family has also contacted a legal team and is exploring a possible wrongful death lawsuit.

Experts familiar with MRI safety protocols say this case could represent a serious failure of multiple safeguards. “This isn’t a minor oversight,” said one radiology consultant.

“Either the staff were distracted, poorly trained, or protocols were bypassed entirely. No patient should ever be in that room with metal.”

McAllister’s death has also raised broader concerns about patient safety and medical oversight. While rare, MRI-related accidents have happened in the past.

In 2001, a 6-year-old boy was killed in New York after an oxygen tank was mistakenly brought into an MRI room and turned into a deadly projectile. Since then, most hospitals have strengthened their safety checks—but this case suggests that gaps may still exist.

Keith McAllister was a retired bus driver and father of three. He was known for his sense of humor, love of fishing, and dedication to his grandchildren.

His family described him as active and in relatively good health, which made the sudden, violent nature of his death all the more difficult to bear.

In their grief, the McAllister family hopes that speaking out will prompt hospitals and imaging centers nationwide to take safety more seriously and ensure that tragedies like this never happen again.

“We can’t bring Keith back,” one family member said, “but if this saves someone else, then at least his death won’t be in vain.”

As the investigation continues, questions remain about who was in the room, what steps were missed, and whether any criminal negligence may have played a role.

But for one family, the reality is already painfully clear: a man who came in for a scan left in a body bag—and it should never have happened.