TROY, Mich. (WXYZ) — A 5-year-old boy was killed when the hyperbaric chamber he was inside exploded at a medical facility in Troy on Friday morning.
RELATED VIDEO: Patient explains use of hyperbaric chambers and what the experience is like
Troy police and fire officials said they received a call regarding the explosion shortly before 8 a.m. to a facility located at 165 Kirts Boulevard. When they arrived, they said they found the child inside the chamber deceased.
Related Video: Troy officials hold press conference after explosion at medical facility
The child’s mom was also reportedly in the room and sustained some injuries to her arms.
“Our initial research shows that this is not a common incident, and the scene remains under active investigation,” said Troy Fire Lieutenant Keith Young.
Officials say the chamber contains 100 percent oxygen, which is five times the amount of oxygen in a normal room, and can be “extremely combustible.”
The facility is The Oxford Center, which offers a variety of medical therapies, including hyperbaric oxygen therapy.
According to The Oxford Center website, the therapy is a "specialized form of medical treatment administered by delivering 100% pure oxygen to the body through increased atmospheric pressure greater than 1.3 ATA in an enclosed hard chamber."
The Oxford Center released a statement after the incident that reads in part, "This is an exceptionally difficult day for all of us. The safety and wellbeing of the children we serve is our highest priority. 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."
The explosion damage, officials say, was contained to the room it was in.
Watch the latest report from the scene in the video below
“I've been with the department for 10 years and we’ve never responded to anything like this,” said Lt. Young.
Carol Lemieux works at the Michigan Institute of Human Performance next to The Oxford Center.
"We've had other patients go from here to there after their treatment to get the extra oxygen for healing ... we're just shocked to find out that can even happen," she said.
Officials say the 5-year-old victim is from Royal Oak.
"Horrible, tragic incident that we don't want to ever respond to," said Troy Police Lieutenant Ben Hancock.
A GoFundMe describes 5-year-old Thomas Cooper as "the smartest and cutest kid that liked to zoom, zoom, zoom."
The GoFundMe was set up to help the family with expenses following his passing.
According to the page, Thomas loved life, running and swimming, and liked to draw and figure out how things worked.
To read more about Thomas and to donate, click here.
We've also learned the family of Thomas has retained Fieger Law to represent them.
The firm sent out the following statement on Saturday:
“This is an unimaginable tragedy, and our hearts are with the family as they navigate this immeasurable loss,” said James Harrington, Managing Partner of Fieger Law, in a statement. “We ask that the public and media respect the family’s privacy at this time. We are investigating every aspect of this matter and will report our findings in due time. The safety of children should always be the top priority, and this incident raises serious concerns about hyperbaric chambers and the oversight and regulation of hyperbaric treatments.”
