A man was critically injured after being sucked into an MRI machine when he walked into a room where a scan was in progress while wearing a metal chain, authorities say.

According to investigators, officers responding to a 911 call for help at the Nassau Open MRI on Old Country Road in Westbury around 4:30 p.m. Wednesday were told that a 61-year-old man had entered an MRI room where a scan was underway.

They said he was wearing a large metallic chain around his neck, causing him to be drawn into the machine. That, police said, "resulted in a medical episode." No other details were immediately provided.

The man was taken to a hospital for treatment. It's not clear if he was a patient at the MRI center at the time of the incident or why he was in the room.

Workers at the medical office did not wish to answer questions on Thursday, and requested reporters to leave.

The investigation is ongoing.

MRI machines use intensely powerful magnets that can draw in metal objects, making it unsafe to bring metal of any kind near the machine. The magnetic field is always on, and even small objects can turn into projectiles.

Injuries can range from minor burns and cuts to severe wounds. No details were released on the nature of the injuries to the man in Wednesday's incident.

Similar types of injuries from MRI machines are rare, but do happen and can be deadly.