Why ‘suicide pod’ was banned as man who was only person present at first death takes his own life

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

Dr Florian Willet, the only person present at the first use of the controversial Sarco pod, has taken his own life.

Co-president of assisted suicide organisation The Last Resort, Dr Willet was in attendance last year when the pod was first used in Switzerland.

He had been arrested at the scene in the aftermath on suspicion that he may have strangled the woman who used the pod if it didn't work properly.

He was placed in pre-trial detention, but released in December 2024 after 70 days, with police dropping accusations of intentional homicide.

The Last Resort said there was 'no foundation' to the allegation that he strangled the woman.

In a statement The Last Resort said: "In the early days of 2025, Florian ‘fell’ from the third floor of his Zurich apartment building. He would spend the following three months undergoing surgery and in rehab in Switzerland. During this time he was cared for by a full psychiatric team.

Dr Florian Willet, who has since passed away, witnessed the first use of the Sarco pod (ARND WIEGMANN/AFP via Getty Images)

"His psychiatric discharge report of January 2025 stated that he was suffering from ‘an acute polymorphic psychotic disorder (F23.0) which is currently subsiding under antipsychotic therapy, and which has developed following the stress of the pre-trial detention and the associated processes’. Florian’s spirit was broken."

Dr Philip Nitschke, director of Exit International and inventor of the Sarco pod, told Volkskrant that Dr Willet died last month 'with the help of a specialised organisation'.

"When Florian was released suddenly and unexpectedly from pre-trial detention in early December 2024, he was a changed man," he said.

"Gone was his warm smile and self-confidence. In its place was a man who seemed deeply traumatised by the experience of incarceration and the wrongful accusation of strangulation."

Dr Willet was arrested after the Sarco pod was used for the first time in Switzerland (ARND WIEGMANN/AFP via Getty Images)

The Sarco pod

Created by Dr Philip Nitschke, the Sarco pod has also been referred to as a 'suicide pod'.

It works by allowing a person who climbs inside it to push a button which will fill the chamber with nitrogen, resulting in them losing consciousness and dying within minutes.

The decision on pressing the button lies with the occupant, and there is an option to cancel the process should the person inside decide they do not wish to take their own life after releasing the nitrogen.

It is a very controversial device, as while the debate on assisted dying is moving along in several countries, there are concerns over the Sarco pod and how safe and humane it is.

Police dropped claims that Willet had strangled the woman after the pod didn't work, but Sarco pod inventor Dr Philip Nitschke (right) said he was deeply affected by the accusation (ARND WIEGMANN/AFP via Getty Images)

The first use of the 'suicide pod'

The Sarco pod was first used on 23 September, 2024, when a 64-year-old American woman became the first person to use one of the pods.

Dr Willet was the only person present as she pressed the button to release the nitrogen. He described her death as 'peaceful, fast and dignified', while Dr Nitschke watched the process by video.

The Last Resort said the woman's death had occurred 'under a canopy of trees, at a private forest retreat' in Switzerland.

Anyone wanting to use the Sarco pod must pass psychological tests to demonstrate they are of sound mind, and Dr Nitschke said the woman 'really wanted to die'.

He explained: "When she entered the Sarco, she almost immediately pressed the button. She didn't say anything. She really wanted to die. My estimate is that she lost consciousness within two minutes and that she died after five minutes.

"We saw jerky, small twitches of the muscles in her arms, but she was probably already unconscious by then. It looked exactly how we expected it to look."

Dr Nitschke said Dr Willet was a 'changed man' after he'd been imprisoned (ARND WIEGMANN/AFP via Getty Images)

A controversial first death

While assisted suicide is legal in Switzerland, euthanasia is not.

The Sarco pod has not been given the legal thumbs up in Switzerland and after the American woman used the pod police took 'several people' into custody including Dr Florian Willet.

On the day it was used Switzerland's Interior Minister Elisabeth Baume-Schneider said the capsule was 'not legal'.

Police had been informed that the assisted suicide had taken place by a legal firm, an investigation was launched into suspicion of incitement and accessory to suicide.

Florian Willet was released from pre-trial detention after 70 days with the claims of intentional homicide against him dropped.

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.