It is very sad to tell you that the 5-years Michigan boy was killed on Friday morning when a hyperbaric chamber he was inside of exploded, official said.
Police and firefighters responded to The Oxford Medical Center in Troy around 8 a.m. on Friday after reports of an explosion in a hyperbaric chamber. When emergency responders arrived, they found a boy from Royal Oak dead inside the chamber. His mother, who was near the chamber when it exploded, suffered arm injuries. No one else was injured in the explosion.
Police have not revealed the reason the child was receiving treatment. The cause of the explosion is still under investigation, and fire crews were able to contain the fire in the room. A hyperbaric chamber is an enclosed space that delivers pure oxygen to the body under higher-than-normal air pressure, often used for lifesaving and tissue-saving treatments.
Hyperbaric chambers are highly combustible due to the high levels of oxygen in the pressurized environment. The Oakland Community Health Network is providing support to first responders and medical staff involved in the incident.
The Oxford Medical Center, which offers various medical therapies, released a statement saying, “This is an exceptionally difficult day for all of us. A fire started inside a hyperbaric oxygen chamber at our Troy location this morning. The child being treated in the chamber did not survive, and the child’s mother was injured. The safety and wellbeing of the children we serve is our highest priority. We do not know why or how this happened and will fully cooperate with the ongoing investigations.”
An investigation is currently underway, and multiple agencies across the state are involved. The Troy Fire Department Lt. Keith Young stated, “There will be multiple jurisdictions and departments participating in this investigation.”
The medical facility is closed until further notice.