A five-year-old boy was “incinerated” while inside a pressurised oxygen chamber. Thomas Cooper died while undergoing alternative treatment for ADHD and sleep apnoea – he was pronounced dead at the scene on January 31. The incident took place at the Oxford Center in Detroit, with five people being charged in connection to the boy’s death, according to Michigan police.
Tamela Peterson, 58, founder and CEO of the centre, has been charged with second-degree murder. Facility’s manager Gary Marken, 65, and safety manager Gary Mosteller, 64, have also been charged with second-degree murder, as well as involuntary manslaughter. Aleta Moffitt, 60, was operating the chamber when it exploded – she has been charged with involuntary manslaughter and intentionally placing false medical information on a medical records chart.
Thomas was seeking alternative treatment for ADHD and sleep apnoea, where he underwent hyperbaric oxygen therapy. This involves breathing pure oxygen in a pressurised chamber, according to NBC.
Although some studies suggest the treatment can ease symptoms, the chambers have not officially been cleared for marketing to treat sleep apnoea or ADHD by the Food and Drug Administration.
Dana Nessel, Michigan’s Attorney General, said at a news conference on Tuesday: “A single spark, it appears, ignited into a fully involved fire that claimed Thomas’s life within seconds.
“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.”
The attorney for Mr Marken, Ramond Cassar, said his charge of second-degree murder is “a total shock”, adding how it was “a tragic accident”.
“I want to remind everyone that this was an accident, not an intentional act. We’re going to have to leave this up to the experts to find out what the cause of this was,” he added.
Thomas’s family have not commented on the charges, yet sources told NBC last month that the boy’s parents were “absolutely devastated”.
Thomas’s mother was injured while attempting to save him, managing partner of Fieger Law James Harrington said.
A statement from the Oxford Centre said: “Nothing like this has happened in our more than 15 years of providing this type of therapy. We do not know why or how this happened and will participate in all of the investigations that now need to take place.”