US woman becomes first to die using dystopian 'suicide pod' in Switzerland

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• By Avi Yemini

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An American woman has become the first person to end her life using the Sarco 'suicide pod' in Switzerland. The 64-year-old reportedly died "almost instantly" in the pod, located near a forest hut in Merishausen, northern Switzerland.  

Swiss authorities confirmed on Tuesday that several individuals were taken into custody, facing charges of “inducement and aiding and abetting suicide.”  

Pray for humanity. Evil is on the prowl. Disturbing news about the use of the Sarco suicide pod for the first time in Europe and by an American—tragic for all involved. Let's pray for guidance and compassion in this increasingly troubled world. We must keep working for a world… pic.twitter.com/CFjhfx38aj

— Jason Ian Poblete (@JasonPoblete) September 24, 2024

The Sarco pod, designed by Australian Dr Philip Nitschke and dubbed the “Tesla of euthanasia,” raises ongoing ethical and legal debates in Switzerland. While assisted dying has been legal for years, active euthanasia remains illegal. The device operates by replacing oxygen with nitrogen, causing death by suffocation.

Sarco Pod (Suicide Machine) Used for First Time, 64-Year-Old American Woman Reportedly Dies in Device

The Sarco pod, a euthanasia device, has reportedly been used for the first time by a 64-year-old American woman.

Swiss police detained several people and launched an… pic.twitter.com/CGiKgS2xan

— Kristy Tallman (@KristyTallman) September 24, 2024

“It looked exactly as we expected,” Dr Nitschke told Dutch media. He noted that the woman lost consciousness within two minutes, followed by death in five minutes. “She really wanted to die,” he added.  

Swiss police have since opened criminal proceedings against multiple individuals, with the Sarco machine seized and the woman’s body sent for autopsy.  

Pro-life groups have expressed concern that the device “glamourises suicide.” James Mildren, from pro-life group CARE, condemned the capsule, stating, “Suicide is a tragedy that good societies seek to prevent.”

This is Sarco, a 3D-printed suicide pod that uses nitrogen hypoxia to end the life of the person inside in under 30 seconds after pressing the button inside. pic.twitter.com/th8Oeyq9AP

— Creepy.org (@creepydotorg) July 31, 2024

The Sarco pod’s process is designed to be both autonomous and unsettling. Before pressing the button to begin the procedure, the person inside will hear a chilling eight-word message: "If you want to die, press this button." Once the button is activated, nitrogen gas floods the chamber, reducing oxygen levels and causing death by hypoxia.