TROY, Mich. – A hyperbaric safety expert testified Tuesday that the death of a 5-year-old boy in a hyperbaric chamber fire could have been prevented if he had been wearing a standard safety device — a grounding strap.
The testimony came during the second day of a preliminary hearing to determine whether four Oxford Center employees, including its CEO, will face trial in the January death of Thomas Cooper.
“I didn’t see anything else, and I went in looking for that,” testified Francois Burman, a hyperbaric safety expert, referring to static electricity as the cause of the fatal fire.
Burman described seeing “a discharge between the patient and the mattress” in video footage of the incident.
The hearing follows charges of second-degree murder and involuntary manslaughter against Oxford Center CEO Tamela Peterson, 58, operations director Gary Marken, 66, and safety director Jeffrey Mosteller, 65.
--> Judge weighs charges in Troy deadly hyperbaric chamber explosion involving 5-year-old boy
A fourth defendant, chamber operator Aleta Harward Moffitt, 60, faces charges of involuntary manslaughter and falsifying medical records.
Just one day earlier, a former Oxford Center employee testified that she was fired in 2024 after raising concerns about the facility’s failure to use grounding straps.
Tiffany Hosey, a certified hyperbaric technologist, told the court on Monday (Sept. 15) that using the chambers without grounding straps “means death.”
The defense argued that grounding straps could pose a choking hazard, particularly for children with behavioral issues.
However, Burman emphasized that the fire risk far outweighed other concerns, noting that once a fire starts in a hyperbaric chamber, “it cannot be extinguished.”
According to Burman’s testimony, the tragic sequence began when Cooper’s knee appeared to touch the mattress, creating an initial spark.
“Within the next second, everything inside the chamber was alight,” said Burman.
The Oxford Center, which operated facilities in Troy and Brighton, offered hyperbaric oxygen therapy for various conditions, including some not approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
Cooper was reportedly receiving treatment for ADHD and sleep apnea at the time of his death.
Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel’s office alleges that the facility’s employees disregarded safety protocols established by both the National Fire Protection Association and Sechrist, the manufacturer of the chamber.
The preliminary examination was adjourned after Tuesday’s, Sept. 16, 2025, testimony, with scheduling conflicts pushing the next court date until December.
The defendants have all pleaded not guilty to the charges. If convicted of second-degree murder, they could face life in prison.