A chilling moment unfolded in Switzerland on Monday when a 64-year-old American woman became the first to use a controversial Sarco suicide pod, a device often referred to as the “Tesla of euthanasia.” Before her tragic death, the pod delivered a haunting message: “If you want to die, press this button.”
What is the Sarco suicide pod?
The Sarco, short for “sarcophagus,” is a 3D-printed euthanasia chamber designed to provide a swift and peaceful death. The pod works by filling the enclosed chamber with nitrogen gas, which quickly reduces the user’s oxygen levels to fatal degrees. According to reports, the process is reversible if the user presses an emergency button before succumbing to the gas.
Despite its creators’ claim that the Sarco offers a “dignified” and “non-drug” means of ending one’s life, its legality remains highly contentious. The woman’s use of the machine occurred in a forest cabin in Merishausen, Switzerland, and was witnessed by only one person, Florian Willet, co-president of Exit International’s Swiss affiliate, the Last Resort.
Arrests follow the death
The woman’s death has led to multiple arrests as the machine had not yet received official approval for public use in Switzerland. Among those taken into custody is a photographer with the Dutch newspaper Volkskrant, who was reportedly documenting the event. Swiss authorities are now investigating those arrested on charges of incitement and accessory to suicide.
According to Willet, the woman’s passing was “peaceful, fast, and dignified.” She had been suffering from “severe immune compromise,” a statement from Exit International revealed.
Assisted suicide in Switzerland
Switzerland is one of the few countries where assisted suicide is legal, although its laws dictate that individuals must end their lives without direct assistance from others. Assistance is only permitted if it is not for “self-serving motives.” Euthanasia, however, which involves the active participation of a medical professional, remains illegal in the country.
Exit International director Dr. Philip Nitschke expressed satisfaction with the pod’s performance following the incident. “I am pleased that the Sarco performed exactly as it was designed… to provide an elective, non-drug, peaceful death at the time of the person’s choosing,” Nitschke said.
Swiss authorities crack down on the Sarco pod
Despite the growing interest in the Sarco device, it faces significant legal hurdles in Switzerland. Swiss Health Minister Elisabeth Baume-Schneider has expressed strong doubts about the pod ever gaining official approval. “It does not fulfill the demands of the product safety law, and as such, must not be brought into circulation,” she stated on Monday.
The woman’s death, the first linked to this high-tech euthanasia device, has cast a spotlight on the ethical and legal questions surrounding assisted suicide. As Swiss authorities investigate further, the future of the Sarco pod remains uncertain.