A young salon manager was found dead inside a cryochamber where she is thought to have suffocated, according to police and local media reports.
Employees at Rejuvenice in Henderson, Nevada found the body of Chelsea Ake, 24, inside one of the ice machines earlier this week, NBC station KSNV reported.
Ake, the manager of the business, is thought to have gone into one of the cryochambers on her own, it said.
Whole-body cryotherapy is offered as an alternative to cold-water immersion or ice packs, but machines are never used for more than three minutes because temperatures can fall as low as minus 240 degrees Fahrenheit.
"I do know that she was alone closing the shop up, and then did go into the machine and apparently did not turn off," her friend, Shae-Lynn Bee, told the station. "She was my best friend, and I'm going to miss her dearly."
A post on the salon’s Facebook page said: “Tragic ending to a beautiful life. We will all miss you. Rest in Peace.”
Authorities with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration say they believe Ake was in the chamber for at least 10 hours, KSNV reported. A police report says Ake used the machine without assistance and may have suffocated. Investigators ruled "operator error.”
The owners of Rejuvenice had no comment on the accident but expressed sadness at the loss, KSNV said.
