The witnesses lied through their teeth. They are all anti-death penalty stooges and went off the same script.
Dude held his breath and thrashed. He held it quite awhile. Finally he was forced to breath it in, and lost consciousness in seconds.
Then died.
THAT’S what happens when you breath pure Nitrogen in.
Holding your breath a long time is painful. But it’s not painful, at all, from lack of Oxygen. It’s painful from the build up of CO2 in your blood, which can’t be released because you stopped exhaling. The buildup of CO2 in your blood changes the pH, lowers it, and that makes your body go, Woah!! What’s happening? This hurts!!
It’s the buildup of carbonic acid in your blood from CO2 that sux. Breathing out then in relieves the pain. Do it in pure nitrogen and the pain is gone instantly. CO2 is eliminated, and you basically pass out painlessly in moments. The passout is from lack of Oxygen, and it’s painless.
Yes, I’ve experienced it.
It’s the easiest way to croak, if you have to go that route.
(Pure CO, Carbon Monoxide, is even more one-way. Nitrogen suffocation can be reversed if you stop it within around 6-10 minutes. But 4 breaths of pure CO and you’re dead, period, even if you don’t know it yet. Can’t be reversed.)
YEP!!