First Sarco pod suicide: US woman 'almost immediately pressed button'

According to its inventor, the first individual to utilize the Sarco suicide pod entered the machine and quickly pressed the button to end her life.

The capsule is created so that a user can press a button which releases nitrogen gas into the enclosed space. This leads to a lack of oxygen, resulting in unconsciousness and eventually death shortly afterward.

It was located in a forest close to a cabin in Merishausen, northern Switzerland. The window of the pod provided the 64-year-old American woman a view of the trees and the sky overhead before she passed away.

"It appeared just as we anticipated. I believe she lost consciousness within two minutes and that she passed away after five minutes," Dr. Philip Nitschke, the creator of the pod, shared with Dutch news outlets.

We noticed brief and minor twitches and movements in her arm muscles, but she was likely already unconscious by that point.

The woman, thought to be a mother of two from the Midwest region of the United States, was said to have been dealing with a "very serious illness that causes intense pain" and had expressed a desire to end her life for "a minimum of two years."

Upon learning of her passing, the police rushed to the wooded area, where they found the woman's deceased body inside the pod and took several individuals into custody.

Reports indicate that among those arrested are the director of The Last Resort, the company responsible for Sarco, along with two attorneys and a photographer from a newspaper who was capturing images of the pod.

According to the developers of the device, the Sarco capsule was first used in a forest setting.

Philip Nitschke, the creator of Sarco, was photographed during a press conference in Zurich on July 17.

On July 8, 2024, Philip Nitschke reclined inside a device designed for assisted dying, referred to as 'The Sarco', in Rotterdam, Netherlands.

The 'Sarco' capsule, according to its developers, gives users the ability to press a button and initiate the process of ending their own life.

The public prosecutor in the Schaffhausen area stated that the developers of Sarco were cautioned against using the device in the region, yet they did not follow this advice.

"We put them on notice in writing," prosecutor Peter Sticher stated. "We made it clear that if they traveled to Schaffhausen and utilized Sarco, they would be subject to legal repercussions."

On Monday, Sticher arrived at the crime scene with a substantial group of police officers and forensic specialists, noting that the operation stretched from the early evening hours until approximately midnight.

"We discovered the capsule containing a deceased individual," he shared with Blick. "We removed the person from the capsule and transported them to the Institute of Forensic Medicine, where an autopsy is scheduled for today."

He mentioned that the arrests were carried out to prevent individuals from coordinating with each other or concealing any evidence.

As reported by the Dutch newspaper de Volksrant, which has been covering the story closely, the woman who tragically passed away in the machine had previously told The Last Resort that it was her personal decision to take her own life.

In a four-minute audio clip, she allegedly shared that she had been wishing for death for 'around two years,' following her diagnosis with a 'severe illness.'

The company stated that she had a weakened immune system and was experiencing intense discomfort.

According to Volksrant, the woman's two sons fully support her choice to end her life. She reportedly stated, "They are all in on it with me."

In July, Fiona Stewart, a member of the Last Resort group, stands beside the Sarco suicide machine.

An overview of the Sarco suicide device, a 3D-printed capsule designed to allow the user complete control over when they choose to end their life.

Fiona Stewart, a board member of The Last Resort, stated that the woman's sons had provided written statements to the organization confirming this information.

It is not thought that the sons were in Switzerland when their mother passed away on Monday.

Nitschke shared the news about the pod's debut on X, stating: 'A serene and tranquil passing in a Swiss forest, where The Last Resort utilized the Sarco device to assist a woman from the US in achieving the end she desired.'

He also pointed out regarding the arrests afterward: "What the Swiss police failed to mention is that among those detained were the Director of The Last Resort, two lawyers who were offering legal support to TLR, and a journalist from the Netherlands!"

According to a report from Volkskrant, law enforcement officials arrested one of its photographers who was attempting to capture images of the Sarco in action, but they did not provide any additional information.

The Schaffhausen police stated that the photographer is currently in custody at a police station, but they chose not to provide any additional details.

As reported by Last Resort, Willet mentioned that the woman passed away in a way that was 'calm, quick, and respectful,' occurring 'beneath a cover of trees, at a secluded forest getaway in the Canton of Schaffhausen near the Swiss-German border.'

Nitschke stated that the woman's passing was a smooth experience, noting that once she settled into the Sarco, she quickly pressed the button.

"She was genuinely overwhelmed with despair. She had become silent and withdrawn," he remarked.

In a statement, he mentioned that his device functioned precisely as intended, offering a 'non-drug, tranquil death at the moment chosen by the individual.'

Authorities, along with forensic experts, responded to the location after receiving a report from a law firm about an assisted suicide involving the device.

The Last Resort, anticipating that an investigation would be necessary following the device's launch, stated that they had notified the police about its usage.

Nitschke and Stewart stated that the company consistently followed the guidance of their legal team.

The pods operate by swapping out the air, which consists of 21 percent oxygen and 79 percent nitrogen, for pure nitrogen that is 100 percent nitrogen.

This causes the person to lose consciousness and subsequently cease breathing, a process that the developers anticipated would occur in under ten minutes.

Philip Nitschke stands in front of a 'suicide pod' referred to as 'The Sarco' in Rotterdam, Netherlands, on July 8, 2024.

A camera within the pod captures their last moments, and the recorded material is then given to a coroner.

Nitschke and his team created Sarco, a device produced through 3-D printing, with the intention of making it available at no cost. Individuals would only need to cover the expense of having their remains handled by funeral services.

The woman who utilized the device was only responsible for the nitrogen fee, which amounted to 18 Swiss francs, as reported by the Last Resort.

The company is working towards offering assisted dying services at little to no cost, with their fee being approximately £16. This is a significant difference compared to many Swiss clinics, which typically charge around £10,000 for similar services.

"The Sarco is available at no cost," Stewart mentioned. "Our goal isn't to profit from this."

The woman mentioned that she also had to cover extra expenses, including the costs for her cremation.

The image displays the login interface and the activation button for the pure nitrogen in the Sarco euthanasia device.

An image of the two detectors and the button for dispensing pure nitrogen on the Sarco euthanasia device.

The gadget was utilized on the same day that Swiss Interior Minister Elisabeth Baume-Schneider informed the National Council of her belief that using the Sarco in Switzerland is against the law.

Baume-Schneider reportedly stated that the Sarco suicide capsule is illegal in two ways.

"She mentioned that, on one side, it fails to meet the requirements of product safety regulations and therefore should not be distributed."

Conversely, the use of nitrogen mentioned does not align with the intent of the chemicals legislation.

Swiss law permits assisted suicide, provided the individual carries out the act without any outside help. Additionally, those offering assistance must not be motivated by personal gain, as stated on a government website.

Switzerland is one of the few nations globally where individuals from other countries can legally choose to end their lives. It hosts several organizations that assist people in this decision.

This week, Peter and Christine Scott shared with the Mail that they have chosen to take their lives together.

Certain lawmakers in Switzerland believe that the law lacks clarity and are working to address what they refer to as gaps in the legal system.

Nitschke and Stewart, a married couple who have been advocates for the right to die for many years, have expressed their desire for Sarco to be recognized as a legitimate and easily accessible choice for euthanasia.

According to The Last Resort, approximately 120 people have applied to use the machine to take their own lives, and about a quarter of those on the waiting list are reported to be from the UK.

Included in this group is a former RAF engineer along with his wife, who shared with the Mail that they have committed to being the first pair to utilize a double suicide pod.

After being married for 46 years, Peter and Christine Scott decided to make a significant change following Christine's recent diagnosis of early-stage vascular dementia at the age of 80. Christine, a former nurse, will be impacted by this condition, prompting the couple to reassess their situation.

Similar to the single pod, The Last Resort mentioned that the two-person pod will be made with a 3D printer, and it might be ready for use by January at the earliest.