Witness who watched first person die in controversial suicide pod describes what happened at the scene

Warning: This article contains discussion of suicide which some readers may find distressing

A witness who watched the first person die in the controversial suicide pod has revealed exactly what happened.

The Sarco 'suicide pod' - created by Dr. Philip Nitschke - was designed to provide assisted suicide treatments for patients.

It was used for the first time earlier this week after an unidentified 64-year-old woman from the US used the machine.

The infamous pod which hadn't yet been approved for use, resulting in the arrest of several people over the woman's death.

In part, a statement from Schaffhausen Police read: "The public prosecutor's office of the canton of Schaffhausen has opened criminal proceedings against several persons for incitement, aiding and abetting suicide (Article 115 of the Swiss Criminal Code) resulting in several persons being placed in police custody.

The first person to use the pod died earlier this week (ARND WIEGMANN/AFP via Getty Images)

"The public prosecutor's office of the canton of Schaffhausen was informed on Monday, September 23, 2024 at 4:40 p.m. by a law firm that an assisted suicide with the Sarco capsule had taken place in the afternoon at a forest hut in Merishausen.

"As a result, the Schaffhausen police, including the forensic emergency service, and the public prosecutor's office of the canton of Schaffhausen went to the scene of the crime.

"In addition, specialists from the Forensic Institute Zurich (FOR) and the Institute of Legal Medicine Zurich (IRMZ) were called in. The Sarco suicide capsule was secured and the deceased person was taken to the IRMZ for an autopsy.

"In addition, several people in the Merishausen area were taken into police custody. The public prosecutor's office is also investigating the violation of other criminal offenses."

Dr. Florian Willet, co-president of The Last Resort Association, is said to be the sole witness to the woman's passing.

Several people have been arrested following the pod's first use (ARND WIEGMANN/AFP via Getty Images)

The doctor, who also co-developed the pod, stated the woman's death was 'peaceful, fast, and dignified', according to CBS News.

The woman travelled to Switzerland to end her life, with Dr. Nitschke saying she 'really wanted to die'.

"When she entered the Sarco, she almost immediately pressed the button," he told de Volkskrant.

"She didn't say anything. She really wanted to die. My estimate is that she lost consciousness within two minutes and that she died after five minutes.

"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."

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 Crisis Text Line by texting MHA to 741741

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