Disclaimer: The article mentions details about death.
A trip to the hospital that was supposed to be just a typical check-up ended in a tragedy for Keith McAllister, a 61-year-old man from Long Island, New York. This incident occurred when Keith, who had only gone with his wife Adrienne for her knee scan, got caught in the MRI machine’s strong magnet because he had a heavy weight-lifting chain on.
The horror is like something out of the latest Final Destination movie, but it was not. This was real life.
And in this real-life horror story, despite everyone’s desperate efforts to save him, Keith couldn’t be pulled out quickly enough. He was stuck there for almost an hour, and even though they managed to get him out, it was too late.
He passed away the very next day, after a series of heart attacks.
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Adrienne’s screams echoed through the exam room as she begged, “Turn off the machine!” She was fighting to get her husband to safety. Talking to News 12 Long Island, she shared, “I was saying, ‘Turn off the machine, call 911, do something, turn this damn thing off!’ [But] he waved goodbye to me and his whole body went limp.”
The police have reported that the tragic incident occurred when McAllister’s metal necklace got caught in the machine’s strong magnetic field. A spokesperson from the Nassau County Police Department shared, “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.”
Samantha Bodden, Keith’s stepdaughter, started a GoFundMe campaign to help Adrienne deal with this situation.
The fundraising page shared scary details. It said that while Adrienne was on the table, the technician had to leave the room to get his wife some help. But he accidentally forgot to tell Keith (her husband) to remove the chain from around his neck.
‘A Long Island man who was sucked into an MRI machine by a neck chain he was wearing has died, Nassau County police said.
Keith McAllister, 61, was wearing a 20-pound weight-training chain with a large lock around his neck when he walked into the room where his wife… pic.twitter.com/bee9lww0WY— The Daily Sneed™ (@Tr00peRR) July 20, 2025
And when the magnet pulled him in, it wasn’t good. Samantha wanted to clear the air later, saying that despite what some people might have heard, Keith was actually allowed in the room because the technician had brought him there.
The pain in Samantha’s voice was unmistakable as she recounted the accident.
The Mirror has reported about the struggle her mom and a tech had gone through, fighting for “several minutes” to save Keith before help finally came. With a heavy heart, she shared that despite their efforts, Keith couldn’t make it. He passed away on July 17th, after multiple heart attacks in the wake of the accident. His funeral was held on August 1st.
Since the GoFundMe campaign started, it has raised more than $14,000, with kind people from all over rushing to offer prayers, donations, and even words of comfort. Someone posted, “May the Lord wrap you in His perfect peace and give you strength during this time of sorrow.” Another one wrote, “We are deeply sorry for your loss and are here to support you in any way we can.”
Keith McAllister was caught in an MRI machine at Nassau Open MRI in Westbury, N.Y. on July 16, and died of his injuries the following day
“He went limp in my arms,” his wife, Adrienne Jones-McAllister, recalled in an interview
An investigation into the incident remains ongoing pic.twitter.com/LVvFGST8ZV— InkWhisper (@InkWhisperrr) July 20, 2025
Adrienne is completely heartbroken, but she’s also thankful for all the love and support everyone’s been giving her family. What’s happened is just so hard to believe; it’s a reminder of how powerful MRI machines are and how important it is to always stick to the safety rules.
