Warning: This article contains discussion of suicide which some readers may find distressing.
The final words of a woman who died in a ‘suicide pod’ have been revealed after the user was found dead with ‘strangulation marks’ in the woods.
The Sarco suicide pod was used for the first time by a 64-year-old American woman.
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The machine had been set up in the woods in Switzerland with only Dr Florian Willet, the president of The Last Resort, present at the time.
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The Last Resort and Exit International are the firms behind the pod and they say that footage was captured on camera to show that the woman chose to die.
They also said that the pod ‘worked precisely as planned and the user died peacefully from nitrogen hypoxia’.
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However, Willet was arrested at the scene and has been in custody for the past five weeks while police investigate the circumstances around the use of the suicide pod.
It has been alleged by chief prosecutor Peter Sticher that a forensic doctor arrived at the scene and claimed that the woman had severe injuries to her neck.
It was reported by Dutch newspaper Volksrant that the prosecutor’s ‘suspicion’ of ‘intentional homicide’ was used to convince a judge to extend Willet’s time in custody as investigations continue.
According to the newspaper, the woman had recorded a four minute long statement to The Last Resort, giving confirmation of her wish to end her life.
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Her final words were reportedly spoken after she climbed into the pod, saying to Willet, ‘ready?’. When he confirmed that he was, she said ‘okay’ before pushing the button to end her life.
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The pod works by releasing nitrogen gas into the sealed chamber when the user presses a button. They will then fall asleep and die from suffocation within minutes.
Speaking to Volkskrant, Willet said: “When she entered the Sarco, she almost immediately pressed the button.
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“[...] My estimate is that she lost consciousness within two minutes and that she died after five minutes.”
He added: “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.”
Since The Last Resort announced the introduction of Sacro, it says that there have been around 120 applicants who wish to use the device.
It says that around a quarter of those who have applied are said to be from the UK.
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If you or someone you know is struggling or in a mental health crisis, help is available through Mental Health America. Call or text 988 or chat 988lifeline.org. You can also reach the Crisis Text Line by texting MHA to 741741.
If you or someone you know needs mental health assistance right now, call National Suicide Prevention Helpline on 1-800-273-TALK (8255). The Helpline is a free, confidential crisis hotline that is available to everyone 24 hours a day, seven days a week.