“Listen Closely: The Haunting Audio That Reveals the Final Moments of Life”

Witnessing the end of someone’s life is a heavy moment that most of us will encounter at some point; it’s like being part of a solemn club none of us really asked to join. As our loved ones begin to slip away, their bodies start signaling this irreversible change in ways that can be both eerie and heartbreaking. One of those signals is the so-called “death rattle.” Sounds a bit ominous, doesn’t it? This unsettling noise indicates that someone may be in their final hours—a sort of goodbye symphony from the body. What exactly is happening when we hear this sound? Spoiler alert: It’s not as terrifying as it sounds. While it may send chills down your spine, experts emphasize that the rattle is simply a natural part of dying— a collection of saliva making its final performance! So, let’s dive into what the death rattle really means and help demystify one of life’s most profound moments.  LEARN MORE.

Witnessing someone’s death is never an easy thing, but it’s a solemn act that many people will have to go through at some point.

When the body begins to die, it does a number of specific things, some of which occur several months before they die, and others in the last day of a person’s life.

Among the latter category is something known as the ‘death rattle’, a noise a person makes which is a sign that they may be within the last 24 hours of their life.

It occurs when a person is dying, as they lose their ability to swallow, meaning things collect in their throat, and the noise air makes as it moves through this un-swallowed matter produces a distinctive sound.

Hospice nurse Julie McFadden explained it simply was ‘a collection of a small bit of saliva in the back of the throat that just sounds really bad’.

It’s a noise many people make when they’re in their last day. (Getty Stock Image)

It’s part of the dying process, and the sound has been described as a ‘crackling, wet noise’ that gets louder as a person breathes, while other descriptions say it can sound like something between a soft moan and a gurgling, snoring sound.

This chilling sound doesn’t cause pain to the person making it, though it’s usually taken as a sign that they are within their final day of life.

Experts want to reassure people that the ‘death rattle’ is a completely normal thing, and to prepare them for the possibility that they may one day hear that sound coming from someone they care about.

It’s one of the many things that can happen to a body as it dies, it doesn’t cause pain to the person doing it, but it can understandably be quite distressing for those around who hear it.

There are ways to alleviate the noise, such as having the person sit up a bit more, or turning the person over so the saliva comes out.

Although it can sound like it’s causing someone pain, the person making the noise is not being hurt by it. (Getty Stock Photo)

Despite the knowledge around it and efforts to raise awareness on how it’s not causing any pain, it can still be a difficult thing for people to hear.

Other things the human body does when it is dying a natural death is change at around the six-month mark, so a person will start sleeping a lot more, and eating and drinking a lot less.

If you have experienced a bereavement and would like to speak with someone in confidence, contact Cruse Bereavement Care via their national helpline on 0808 808 1677.