On Wednesday, 13 August 2025, Southern Cryonics successfully completed its third patient suspension and its second from Melbourne. This was an unanticipated emergency with little notice. Despite the constraints, the operation proceeded smoothly from start to finish, culminating in stabilisation at liquid nitrogen temperature.
Temperature reduction was initiated very quickly following legal death at the hospital, continued at the cooperating funeral home, and proceeded without interruption at the Southern Cryonics facility. The speed and continuity of cooling were enabled by the quick thinking and persistence of the next-of-kin on the scene, and the coordinated execution by the facility team: Phil Rhoades, Joe Allen, and Neil Britt.
After consultation with overseas expertise, Southern Cryonics adopted a straight-freeze approach as the most appropriate course under these ultra emergency conditions. Given the timing, standard perfusion protocols did not apply. When advance notice is not available, rapid cooling is prioritised in order to minimise the time spent above cryogenic temperatures. Logistics, access, and equipment performed as expected for this emergency mobilisation. At the facility, protocols were followed, and temperature reduction progressed per protocol through each phase. The patient was brought down to liquid nitrogen temperature and stabilised for long-term storage.
Southern Cryonics acknowledges the decisive role of the next-of-kin, whose timely actions enabled rapid initiation of cooling. We also recognise the sustained efforts of Phil Rhoades, Joe Allen, and Neal Britt, whose readiness and attention to procedure were central to the positive operational outcome. We also appreciate the strong cooperation of funeral-care staff at the intervening location.
Funding is a key lesson learned from this case and from several recent false alarms. While this was an ultra-emergency with only hours of notice, if it had been a typical emergency with a few days’ lead time, the lack of pre-arranged funding in this case would have become a timing bottleneck. Bank anti-fraud checks and transfer limits can delay payment to CryoPath for several days. To reduce risk, members or their representatives should pre-arrange and pre-fund their SST and pre-authorise CryoPath as a payee with verified transfer limits in advance.
