5-Year-Old Boy Dies in Hyperbaric Chamber Explosion at Michigan Medical Center

TROY, Mich. – A 5-year-old boy from Royal Oak died Friday morning after a hyperbaric chamber exploded at a medical facility in Troy, authorities said. The incident occurred shortly before 8 a.m. at the Oxford Center, located at 165 Kirts Boulevard.

The boy was inside the chamber receiving hyperbaric oxygen therapy when the explosion happened. His mother, who was present at the facility, sustained injuries to her arms but is expected to recover. The boy was pronounced dead at the scene.

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) involves breathing pure oxygen in a pressurized environment. It is commonly used to treat conditions such as decompression sickness, carbon monoxide poisoning, and diabetic foot ulcers. The therapy is also sometimes used for unapproved conditions, including autism and sports injuries.

Troy Fire Lt. Keith Young said investigators are still determining the cause of the explosion. “Concentrated oxygen used in hyperbaric chambers is highly combustible,” Young said. “The chamber contained 100 percent oxygen, which is up to three times the amount found in a normal room.”

The Oxford Center, which has locations in Troy and Brighton, has faced controversy in the past. In August, the facility’s former director, Kimberly Coden, pleaded guilty to nine charges, including using false credentials to treat children with autism. Coden falsely presented herself as a board-certified behavioral analyst and used another analyst’s certification to secure jobs in the healthcare sector.

A study reviewing hyperbaric chamber fires over 77 years found that 77 people died in 35 fires. Most fires before 1980 were caused by electrical ignition, but since then, many have been sparked by items brought into the chamber. Officials have not confirmed whether an external item caused Friday’s explosion.

Brian O’Connor of the National Fire Protection Association emphasized the dangers of hyperbaric chambers in a 2021 blog post. “While oxygen itself is not flammable, it supports combustion and can increase the flammability of other materials,” O’Connor wrote. He also noted the challenges of evacuating pressurized chambers during emergencies.

The Oxford Center will remain closed indefinitely as the investigation continues. The facility is not accredited by the Undersea and Hyperbaric Medical Society (UHMS), which oversees hyperbaric therapy standards. According to the UHMS, only two facilities in Michigan are accredited, located in Grand Rapids and Niles.

The boy’s identity has not been released, and authorities are urging anyone with information about the incident to contact the Troy Police Department.