Woman dies after metal detector causes pacemaker to malfunction

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In a tragic accident, the electromagnetic waves from an airport metal detector caused a woman’s pacemaker to malfunction and kill her, Central European News (CEN) reported.

Diana Tolstova, 30, collapsed in the arms of her husband, Maxim, 33, after passing through the detector at Ulan-Ude airport in the Republic of Buryatia in Southern Russia.

Airport medics were called, but they did not respond in time.

“We were standing at the security gates and I had given them papers showing Diana was on a pacemaker,” Maxim told CEN. “I don’t know what happened, but she went through it anyway.”

When the couple arrived at their departure gate, Diana began to feel dizzy and suddenly collapsed. When doctors arrived, they were unsure what to do.

"They didn’t give her any first aid and they didn’t call an ambulance,” Maxim said.

Airport officials say they are investigating the death.

“Security and airport personnel are given strict instructions about how to handle people with pacemakers, and we warn them never to let a wearer go through a metal detector,” an airport spokesman said.

“In normal circumstances, they see their papers and let them pass. In this case, the patient seems to either have forgotten about it, didn’t know or became confused by the airport security arrangements,” he said. “But every patient receives a strict warning.”

Maxim held onto his wife after she collapsed.

"My beautiful Diana died in my arms,” he said.