• iconNews
  • videos
  • entertainment
  • Home
  • News
    • UK News
    • US News
    • Australia
    • Ireland
    • World News
    • Weird News
    • Viral News
    • Sport
    • Technology
    • Science
    • True Crime
    • Travel
  • Entertainment
    • Celebrity
    • TV & Film
    • Netflix
    • Music
    • Gaming
    • TikTok
  • LAD Originals
    • Say Maaate to a Mate
    • Daily Ladness
    • Lad Files
    • UOKM8?
    • FreeToBe
    • Extinct
    • Citizen Reef
  • Advertise
  • Terms
  • Privacy & Cookies
  • LADbible Group
  • UNILAD
  • SPORTbible
  • GAMINGbible
  • Tyla
  • UNILAD Tech
  • FOODbible
  • License Our Content
  • About Us & Contact
  • Jobs
  • Latest
  • Topics A-Z
  • Authors
Facebook
Instagram
X
Threads
Snapchat
TikTok
YouTube

LAD Entertainment

YouTube

LAD Stories

Submit Your Content
Only person at scene speaks out as controversial suicide pod is used for first time

Home> News> World News

Published 15:34 25 Sep 2024 GMT+1

Only person at scene speaks out as controversial suicide pod is used for first time

The first patient to use the pod died earlier this week

Stefania Sarrubba

Stefania Sarrubba

Featured Image Credit: The Last Resort / Exit International

Topics: Mental Health, Health, World News

Stefania Sarrubba
Stefania Sarrubba

Advert

Advert

Advert

Warning: This article contains discussion of suicide which some readers may find distressing.

The only person present at the first Sarco death has spoken out on the assisted suicide pods operating in Switzerland.

Created by Dr Philip Nitschke, the devices promise a painless, quick method of suicide.

Sarco — short for ‘sarcophagus’ — are 3D-printed capsules mounted on a stand that contains a canister of liquid nitrogen.

Advert

The canister is activated by the person in the pod through a button.

The 10-minute process decreases the oxygen levels in the pod, with patients expected to lose consciousness within one minute and die within the next nine.

On September 23, a 64-year-old woman from the US became the first person who died in a suicide pod.

Sarco pods are meant to provide patients with a painless death. (The Last Resort/Exit International)
Sarco pods are meant to provide patients with a painless death. (The Last Resort/Exit International)

Dr Florian Willet, co-president of The Last Resort Association who created the pods, was the only person present for the death of the woman, whose identity hasn’t been disclosed to the public.

Advert

Speaking on her passing, Dr Willet described it as ‘peaceful, fast and dignified’.

According to a on The Last Resort website, the death took place in open air, ‘under a canopy of trees, at a private forest retreat’ in the Canton of Schaffhausen close to the Swiss-German border.

Dr Nitschke said he was ‘pleased that the Sarco had performed exactly as it had been designed to do: that is to provide an elective, non-drug, peaceful death at the time of the person’s choosing’.

Meanwhile, police detained 'several people' with a criminal case opened in connection to the woman’s death. Prosecutors have launched an investigation on suspicion of incitement and accessory to suicide.

A police investigation has been launched into the first pod death. (The Last Resort/Exit International)
A police investigation has been launched into the first pod death. (The Last Resort/Exit International)

Advert

A statement reads: "The public prosecutor's office of the canton of Schaffhausen was on Monday, 23. September 2024 at 4:40 p.m. from a law firm that an accompanied suicide with the capsule Sarco had taken place in the afternoon at a forest hut in Merishausen.

"As a result, the Schaffhausen police, including the criminal investigation service and the public prosecutor's office of the canton of Schaffhausen, went to the crime scene. In addition, specialists from the Forensic Institute Zurich (FOR) and the Institute of Forensic Medicine Zurich (IRMZ) were called in.

"The suicide capsule Sarco was seized and the deceased person was taken to the IRMZ for autopsy. In addition, several people were put in police custody in the Merishausen area.

"The public prosecutor's office is also examining the violation of other criminal offences.”

All forms of euthanasia are illegal in Switzerland, whilst assisted suicide — supplying the means for dying to someone else — is legal as long as the action which causes death is performed by the person who wishes to end their life.

Advert

If you’ve been affected by any of these issues and want to speak to someone in confidence, please don’t suffer alone. Call Samaritans for free on their anonymous 24-hour phone line on 116 123.

Choose your content:

6 hours ago
7 hours ago
  • 6 hours ago

    How man declared 'legally dead' walked into a courtroom to apply for a driving license

    And the astonishing part is, the judge said he was still legally dead

    News
  • 6 hours ago

    Doctor issues warning about major mistake millions make while driving that is ‘slowing your brain down’

    Most cars have this button on the dashboard - but be mindful of how long you're using it for

    News
  • 6 hours ago

    Expert reveals disturbing reason why you should never tell your dark secrets to ChatGPT

    Perhaps a set of code using data it's mined from the internet archive isn't your BFF?

    News
  • 7 hours ago

    The dark happenings behind the scenes of ChatGPT that many people don't know about

    In 2023, OpenAI was subjected to controversy following a TIME magazine investigation into ChatGPT

    News
  • Man who was arrested after being only person at first 'suicide pod' death takes his own life
  • Police take several people into custody as controversial suicide pod is used for first time
  • Controversial 'suicide pod’ creator makes vow as he shares major update on bringing device to UK
  • First British couple sign up to use controversial 'suicide pod' and die in each other's arms