Cryotherapy accident leads to tragedy as one woman dead and another in critical condition

What should have been a relaxing and rejuvenating cryotherapy session turned tragic after an accident at a gym in Paris.

Police have stated they have launched an investigation after a woman died and another has been hospitalized and put in a critical condition after an incident in a gym in Paris, France.

The deceased was identified as an employee at the gym, reportedly 29-years-old, while the injured woman, who was a client, was 34.

The tragedy reportedly took place around 6:20 pm on Monday (April 14) at a high-end gym located in the 11th district of Paris. Police stated the center is understood to be the On Air facility on Voltaire Boulevard.

Cryotherapy has proven popular among athletes and celebrities (Getty Stock Image)

What caused the death of the woman is still being investigated by authorities, but it is believed that a nitrogen leak from the cryochamber caused the poisoning.

According to the Cleveland Clinic, cryotherapy is a treatment where your healthcare provider applies extreme cold to freeze and destroy abnormal tissue. To create this severe cold, your provider will use a substance like liquid nitrogen or argon gas.

When used in walk-in chambers, a person is exposed to temperatures below -100° Celsius for a brief amount of time, as the recommended time is no more than three minutes.

The treatment has previously been used by athletes and celebrities instead of traditional ice packs and cold-water baths.

However, experts have warned that the treatment has not been proven to be medically sound and have urged for more research to be done to determine short-term and long-term effects, especially for whole-body cryotherapy.

For the woman involved in this incident, emergency services were quick to the scene but unable to revive her, while the client is believed to currently be 'between life and death' at the Lariboisière hospital.

Cryotherapy treatments often utilize nitogren (Sergio Flores for The Washington Post via Getty Images)

After the incident, 150 people within the gym were evacuated, and other staff members received treatment.

The Paris Prosecutor's Office said on Monday: “An investigation into the cause of death has been launched.”

“An autopsy and toxicological analyses have been ordered to determine the precise cause of death, which is believed to have occurred during a cryotherapy session.”

The mayor of the 11th arrondissement of Paris, François Vauglin spoke of the incident and said: “It's a stupid accident with terrible consequences.

“It's infinitely sad. Losing your life for a cryotherapy session is tragic. This type of treatment is not trivial.”