Use of the Sarco suicide capsule, referred to as the “Tesla of euthanasia,” has been halted just weeks after a 64-year-old American woman ended her life in the controversial device.
Developed by Dr. Philip Nitschke, founder and director of the pro-euthanasia organization Exit International, the Sarco was first used on September 24, 2024, by an immunocompromised woman from the Midwest.
Swiss authorities have stated that the Sarco had not been approved for use when it was employed to assist the unnamed American in her death. A criminal investigation is currently underway, and all 371 active applications for the device have been suspended, according to the National Review.
Switzerland is one of the few countries that allows travelers to legally undergo assisted suicide without the requirement of a doctor, although external assistance can be involved.
The capsule requires users to activate it themselves, guided by a modulated voice that prompts them to press a button if they “want to die.”
Once activated, the capsule is filled with nitrogen, lowering the user’s oxygen levels to lethal amounts until they enter a hypoxic state and ultimately asphyxiate.
“When she entered the Sarco, she almost immediately pressed the button,” Nitschke told the National Review.
“She didn’t say anything. She was very determined to die. My estimate is that she lost consciousness within two minutes and died after five minutes. We observed some slight muscle twitches in her arms, but she was likely already unconscious by then. It looked exactly as we anticipated.”
Authorities have arrested several individuals linked to the woman’s death, including a Dutch photographer who was documenting the assisted suicide. It remains unclear whether Nitschke was among those detained.
