A horrific incident was reported from US state of Michigan, a 5-year-old boy was "incinerated" when a hyperbaric chamber exploded at a medical facility.
Thomas Cooper was killed January 31, 2025, when the hyperbaric chamber he was receiving treatment in at the Oxford Center in Detroit exploded.
Before the tragic incident, Thomas had reportedly received multiple sessions of hyperbaric therapy for sleep apnea and ADHD.
Thomas was pronounced dead at the spot, while his mother, who was standing next to the chamber, suffered injuries to her arms when it exploded.
The centre's founder, facility manager, safety manager have been charged with second-degree murder over the child's death. However, the hyperbaric chamber's operator at the time of the explosion, was charged with involuntary manslaughter and falsifying medical records.
"A single spark it appears ignited into a fully involved fire that claimed Thomas's life within seconds," Michigan's attorney general Dana Nessel said at a news conference on Tuesday.
"Fires inside a hyperbaric chamber are considered a terminal event. Every such fire is almost certainly fatal and this is why many procedures and essential safety practices have been developed to keep a fire from ever occurring," she said.
What is Hyperbaric oxygen therapy?
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is a medical treatment that involves breathing pure oxygen in a pressurized chamber. The increased pressure allows the body to absorb more oxygen, which can help to promote healing, reduce inflammation, and improve overall health.
During the therapy, the patient lies down in a specialized chamber that is sealed and pressurized to 1.5 to 3 times the normal atmospheric pressure. The patient then breathes pure oxygen through a mask or hood, which is delivered at a pressure that is higher than normal.
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved hyperbaric oxygen therapy for 13 specific disorders, including severe burns, decompression sickness and carbon monoxide poisoning.
However, the list does not include many of the other disorders advertised by the Oxford Centre - including sleep apnea and ADHD.
