Verdict Reached in Oxford Center Hyperbaric Chamber Fire Case

Serdar HocamAuthor & Editor

The former safety director has been sentenced to prison in the case of a hyperbaric chamber explosion that resulted in the death of a five-year-old child at the Oxford Center in Michigan.

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Ex-safety manager given 19 months’ prison over five-year-old’s hyperbaric chamber fire death

In the case regarding the death of a five-year-old child in a hyperbaric oxygen chamber fire in January 2025 at the Oxford Center in Michigan, the former safety director was sentenced to 19 months in prison.

Development of the Incident and Court Verdict

In a trial held in Michigan, 66-year-old Jeffrey Mosteller, who served as the former safety director at the Oxford Center, appeared before the Oakland County Circuit Court after pleading guilty to involuntary manslaughter.

Mosteller was sentenced to 19 months in prison in the hyperbaric chamber explosion case that occurred in January 2025 and resulted in the death of five-year-old Thomas Cooper.

Cause of the Fire

According to security footage reviewed by experts, the young child moved enough to pull the bedsheet inside the chamber, which caused a static electricity spark.

Due to the oxygen-rich environment, this spark quickly ignited, causing the death of the child inside the chamber.

Other Defendants and Legal Process

A total of four former employees were charged in connection with this tragic incident at the Oxford Center, and the legal proceedings for the other defendants are ongoing.

Center founder Tamela Peterson is charged with second-degree murder, facility manager Gary Marken with manslaughter and involuntary manslaughter, and Aleta Moffitt, who operated the chamber, with involuntary manslaughter and entering false medical information.

Legal Developments and Treatment Debates

The family of the young child filed a $100 million tort and wrongful death lawsuit against the clinic and the chamber manufacturer. Meanwhile, the safety of hyperbaric oxygen therapy continues to be debated among health authorities and the public.