Southern Hemisphere's first cryogenically frozen client at rest in regional New South Wales facility

southern hemisphere's first cryogenically frozen client at rest in regional new south wales facility

Cryogenics has been explored in many lights in film and media. (YouTube)

Philip Rhoades has spent 14 years waiting to give dead people a second chance at life.

Those years of preparation have finally been put to the test.

Southern Cryonics, which operates the Southern Hemisphere's first known cryonics facility, has just announced it has cryogenically frozen its first client at its Holbrook facility.

A Sydney man, who died this month in his 80s, has become what the company refers to as Patient One.

The company said it was a Southern Hemisphere first and a complex process that had Mr Rhoades losing sleep.

"[It was] very stressful," Southern Cryonics' facility manager said.

"That was what was keeping me awake for a week because there are a number of different procedures to go through for different days, and there were a number of situations that might have gone wrong if we hadn't prepared properly."

Welcoming the first client

The Southern Cryonics team has been ready and preparing to accept bodies from this year, but their first client was slightly unexpected.

"There were a couple of other people who were existing members who we thought might be likely candidates for being the first but, as it turned out, it was someone who wasn't an existing member," Mr Rhoades said.

"His family rang up out of the blue and we had about a week to prepare and get organised."

Mr Rhoades said the team had tested all the cryonics equipment and were mostly prepared.

"But it's still a little bit different when you are doing a real case," he said.

Preparing for life after death

The first client died on the morning of May 12, 2024 at a hospital in inner Sydney.

The 10-hour process of preserving his body in the hope of it being brought back to life began immediately.

Mr Rhoades had been waiting patiently in Sydney for news of the client's expected death, and quickly caught a train to the hospital, stopping to collect bags of ice from a store on the way.

The client's death certificate was swiftly produced, and his body was moved into the hospital's cold room and packed in ice to bring it down to around 6 degrees Celsius.

The company said the client was then moved to A O'Hare Funeral Directors at Leichhardt where doctors and perfusionists, who operate heart-lung bypass machines, worked to pump a liquid, which acts as a type of anti-freeze, through the body to help preserve cells and lower the body's temperature.

He was then wrapped in special type of sleeping bag and packed in dry ice, while his body temperature was brought down to around minus 80 degrees Celsius.

The client was then transferred to Southern Cryonics' Holbrook facility the next day, where he remained on dry ice until a delivery of liquid nitrogen arrived.

His temperature was brought down to around minus 200 degrees Celsius in a computer-controlled cooling chamber, before being placed in a pod and lowered upside down into a dewar tank, a specialised vacuum storage vessel similar to a giant thermos, which can hold up to four people.

"We went through using crash test dummies and other things to make it as real as possible for all the testings that we went through, so all of that groundwork paid off," Mr Rhoades said.

The process cost the client $170,000 with additional fees for medical teams to help with the preservation process.

It also highlighted the challenges of working with patients outside metropolitan areas.

"With the people who are involved, all the different professionals, it's much easier if it happens in Sydney or possibly Melbourne," Mr Rhoades said.

"If you started getting out into the regional areas or the other states it starts becoming more difficult."

Success on ice

The head of the Melbourne School of Health Science, Professor Bruce Thompson, has described the process as "Star Trek in play", and raised concerns about the science and ethics of the sector.

Professor Thompson said a few hundred frozen cells in a small glass vial are currently able to be regenerated, but noted that is a significant step away from thawing out a human body, fixing the medical issue that killed the person, and bringing them back to life unharmed.

"I know the work just to actually unthaw some cells that are just sitting in a small little test tube and then making them alive again is a significant process," he said.

"Doing that for a whole human body — and it died for a reason at the end of the day — and then reversing that and then reviving that is a very, very long time away."

Professor Thompson said he understood why the cryonics sector was controversial, and that it raised ethical issues about bringing people back from the dead.

"The people who are actually doing this business are taking money off people at a time when [the client] is very, very vulnerable and, at this stage, there is no prospect at being able to revive that person and reverse this process," he said.

Professor Thompson said science, ethics and business models for the process were not prepared for the practice, but he did not rule out possible success in the very distant future.

"Never say never to anything because in my life I have seen some amazing things happen," he said.

Holbrook's future in freezing

The Holbrook facility currently holds one dewar that fits four bodies.

Another dewar is expected to be purchased soon.

The Holbrook site can fit up to 40 bodies with possibility for expansion, which could soon be needed.

More than 30 founding members have paid $50,000 each to kickstart the facility, which secures them a preservation space.

There are another 10 annual members also on the list.

Having now completed the first client's wish, 72-year-old Mr Rhoades hoped there would be someone around to help carry on the work when he dies.

"I'm a little bit anxious … so it would be nice if there was a 50-year-old someone who had similar skills or experience who might be able to take over if I get hit by a bus or something," he said.

OTHER NEWS

26 minutes ago

Nationwide tells members you can't turn up to our AGM in person

26 minutes ago

Star Wars fans hone their lightsaber dueling skills at a Mexico City Jedi academy

30 minutes ago

‘Star Wars’ Actress Daisy Ridley Comes Face-To-Face With Rey Character Performer At Disneyland: “Surrealist!”

31 minutes ago

Inflation gauge to offer cold comfort for borrowers

31 minutes ago

5 Reasons to Seriously Consider Using a Living Trust to Pass an Inheritance to Your Family

31 minutes ago

Aussie skateboarders move one step closer to Paris

31 minutes ago

Steelers Plan on Using Payton Wilson’s ‘Superpower’ to Their Advantage

31 minutes ago

Euro 2024 predictions, fixtures, group standings, results: Sunday 23 June

36 minutes ago

L.A. Olympics official: Leaving Caitlin Clark off 2024 U.S. team 'missed opportunity'

36 minutes ago

Caeleb Dressel qualifies for another event at Paris Olympics, 'happy to be done' with trials

39 minutes ago

Australians will get ‘strong leadership’ from a Coalition government

39 minutes ago

Army chiefs plan biggest reservists mobilisation exercise in 20 years

39 minutes ago

Vitamin supplement that costs just £1 a day could help millions of Britons suffering with poor blood circulation

39 minutes ago

PETER HITCHENS: Could Sir Keir Starmer have failed to spot that he was in a Police State?

39 minutes ago

Meghan's the one I want to hear from on my birthday, but here's why I know she won't call: Just weeks from his 80th, a forlorn THOMAS MARKLE sees no hope of a reconciliation with his daughter

39 minutes ago

Addicts being charged huge sums for private rehabilitation services they do not need, expert warns

39 minutes ago

SARAH VINE: Not only does Starmer have a fundamental disregard for women's rights, he has an even more fundamental disregard for their opinions. That's why I'll never vote for him

39 minutes ago

Eight bargain investment trusts that could bring YOU returns of up to 90% over five years

39 minutes ago

Eight bargain investment trusts that could bring YOU returns of up to 90% over five years

44 minutes ago

Philadelphia officer clinging to life after being shot in the head: report

44 minutes ago

How college graduate aged 23 was able to buy $200,000 home that will make him $23,000 profit a year with just a $540 down payment

44 minutes ago

12-year-old set to become the youngest to graduate from NY high school: 'Absolutely insane'

44 minutes ago

Five Teams Emerge With Interest In Golden Knights' Goaltenders

44 minutes ago

Dominant second-half display sees Glasgow crowned URC champions

44 minutes ago

Want less smartphone distraction - how about a dumbphone?

44 minutes ago

England WAGS give players much-needed morale boost after deflating Denmark performance

44 minutes ago

Swinney: Govt should remove barrier to passing Gender Reform bill

46 minutes ago

Sha'Carri Richardson will race for spot in Olympics after winning semifinals at US trials in 10.86

46 minutes ago

Remain alert as severe storms target southern Ontario on Sunday

46 minutes ago

Son seeks advice after parents install controversial landscaping method: 'I wasn't in favor of the idea'

46 minutes ago

Nuclear a ‘100-year’ plan unlike Labor’s ’15-to-20-year’ renewables

46 minutes ago

With the British summer as unpredictable as ever, here’s how you can bag a bargain holiday

46 minutes ago

Rains, cooler weather help firefighters gain ground on large wildfires in southern New Mexico

55 minutes ago

Noah Lyles wins opening round of men's 100m at US Olympic track and field trials

60 minutes ago

Boy, 12, dies at water park following ‘medical-related incident’: cops

1 hour ago

What Happened To Kate Winslet After Titanic Is Heartbreaking & Gross

1 hour ago

‘Genius move’: Coalition will ‘win’ next election off of nuclear policy announcement

1 hour ago

DOJ Should Do 4 Things if Aileen Cannon Dismisses Trump Case—Ex-Prosecutor

1 hour ago

Rory McIlroy choke explained by sports psychologist as he skips £3.1m payday

1 hour ago

Government to challenge native title claim over famous Aussie island