The machines are actually built pretty tough for the impact. I think they're designed to resist a flying steel oxygen cylinder and just crack some plastic cover parts. One place I visited told a tale of attempting to remove the stuck O2 cylinder using a come-along and strap, but I believe they were unsuccessful and had to quench anyway to get it off.

could never calculate the price of the repair versus the value of the possibility of saving human life.

If necklace guy was being choked by his chain and quenching the magnet would have saved his life, I'm 99.99% certain that any tech I have ever spoken with would have quenched the magnet without hesitation. However, if the chain snapped his neck while dragging him across the room like being jerked in a hangman's jig, quenching is far too late to be of help - I'm pretty sure they would push the $30K button anyway, just out of respect for the dead and to make removing him slightly more dignified, also because they're not likely to get that steel ball off without quenching.