A woman died at a Paris gym and another is in critical condition after a cryotherapy chamber malfunctioned, causing a nitrogen leak, according to multiple reports.
The incident took place at the On Air gym on the Boulevard Voltaire in Paris on Monday, April 14, when a 29-year-old gym employee supervised a 34-year-old client in the cryotherapy tank.
However, both women collapsed when the nitrogen started leaking and replacing the oxygen in the room. Nitrogen is an odorless and colorless gas that is typically used in cryotherapy.
Victim Likely Suffocated to Death, Employee Currently 'Between Life and Death'
Both women went into cardiorespiratory arrest. Emergency services arrived at the scene shortly before 6:30 p.m. local time, per. At the time, all 150 people in the gym were evacuated from the building.
The responders were unable to revive the employee, who they believed suffocated. Meanwhile, the client is "between life and death" at the nearby Lariboisière hospital. Three people who attempted to revive the employee were also transported to the hospital.
The Paris prosecutor's office said the gym and authorities are investigating the cause of death and injury. "An autopsy and toxicology analysis will be carried out to determine the precise cause of death," a spokesperson said, as reported by CBS News. The gym has been closed indefinitely.
What is Cryotherapy?
Cryotherapy is an increasingly popular treatment in which patients expose their bodies to subfreezing temperatures, between -166°F and -230°F. The treatment has several health benefits, including pain relief, muscle recovery, weight loss, reduced inflammation, reducing anxiety and depression, among others.
This isn't the first time a cryotherapy session has led to a person's death. In 2015, a 24-year-old woman froze to death at a Las Vegas spa. She was believed to have gone into the tank after business hours to alleviate aches but was discovered deceased the next day.
