Four Employees Charged After Michigan Boy Dies in Hyperbaric Chamber

A Michigan family is devastated after a five-year-old boy died in a hyperbaric chamber at a medical facility in Troy. Four employees are now facing charges.

Details of the Incident

Thomas Cooper died when the hyperbaric chamber exploded at the Oxford Center in Troy on January 31. Cooper was being treated for ADHD and sleep apnea. However, the FDA does not currently consider using a hyperbaric chamber as a standard treatment method for these conditions.

Keith Young is a Lieutenant for the Detroit Fire Department. He tells ABC News that these devices are filled with 100% oxygen, making them extremely flammable.

The boy was killed within seconds after a single spark ignited a fire inside the chamber.

Safety Protocols Not Observed

Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel says employees at the Oxford Center "completely disregarded" safety protocols on the day of the boy's death.

Investigators found that a daily maintenance check on the machine and a "pre-dive" safety check were not performed on Thomas. He was not outfitted with a grounding strap and no medical doctor was on site at the time of the incident.

Four Employees Face Charges After Boy's Death

Detroit's WDIV-TV reports that four Oxford Center employees were arrested on Monday (3/10).

Nessel's office announced second-degree murder charges against Founder and CEO Tamela Peterson of Brighton, Safety Manager Jeffrey Mosteller of Clinton Township, and Primary Management Assistant Gary Marken of Spring Arbor.

Aleta Moffit of Rochester Hills was operating the hyperbaric chamber. She has been charged with involuntary manslaughter and falsifying medical records.

The Oxford Center has been closed since the incident.