Woman drinks so much water she dies

[gldstwmn]

http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/01/13/wat....ap/index.html

SACRAMENTO, California (AP) -- A woman who competed in a radio station's contest to see how much water she could drink without going to the bathroom died of water intoxication, the coroner's office said Saturday.

Jennifer Strange, 28, was found dead Friday in her suburban Rancho Cordova home hours after taking part in the "Hold Your Wee for a Wii" contest in which KDND 107.9 promised a Nintendo Wii video game system for the winner.

"She said to one of our supervisors that she was on her way home and her head was hurting her real bad," said Laura Rios, one of Strange's co-workers at Radiological Associates of Sacramento. "She was crying, and that was the last that anyone had heard from her."

It was not immediately known how much water Strange consumed.

A preliminary investigation found evidence "consistent with a water intoxication death," said assistant Coroner Ed Smith.

John Geary, vice president and marketing manager for Entercom Sacramento, the station's owner, said station personnel were stunned when they heard of Strange's death.

"We are awaiting information that will help explain how this tragic event occurred," he said.

Initially, contestants were handed 8-ounce bottles of water to drink every 15 minutes.

"They were small little half-pint bottles, so we thought it was going to be easy," said fellow contestant James Ybarra of Woodland. "They told us if you don't feel like you can do this, don't put your health at risk."

Ybarra said he quit after drinking five bottles. "My bladder couldn't handle it anymore," he added.

After he quit, he said, the remaining contestants, including Strange, were given even bigger bottles to drink.

"I was talking to her and she was a nice lady," Ybarra said. "She was telling me about her family and her three kids and how she was doing it for her kids."

[AliceLover]

Thats so sad. I feel bad for her kids, she was doing it for them. What an awful way to go. I'm sure that radio station has a lawsuit on their hands.

[sara1998]

Wow. That's sad. Who'd a thunk it?

[DavidMn]

Water intoxication? I never thought you could die from that.

[elie]

^ Apparently, it's possible. I would like to get more information about it. Some years ago there was an incident in England (I think), where a teenage girl died after consuming too much water in a club, after having taken ecstasy. That was the first time I heard about water intoxication.

[Miss Vicky]

Apparently water intoxication messes up the balance of electrolytes in your body and causes your cells to swell. Which is, of course, incredibly bad if those cells happen to be in your brain or other vital organs.

Here's a wikipedia article on it:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_intoxication

[DavidMn]

Originally Posted by Miss Vicky

Apparently water intoxication messes up the balance of electrolytes in your body and causes your cells to swell. Which is, of course, incredibly bad if those cells happen to be in your brain or other vital organs.

Here's a wikipedia article on it:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_intoxication

Very interesting. Thnak you for posting this.

[Rickypt]

I am stunned that a Sacramento radio station would have such a contest. Just a year or two ago, a Chico State student died from the same thing after being forced to drink tons of water in a frat prank.

[Red]

Yikes, that's awful. And yep, that's a pretty big lawsuit on it's way.

[skcin]

Yeah, it's rare but very possible. We used to have to closely monitor psych patients on certain med because they had an insatiable desire for water.

So sad. What a stupid idea.

[gldstwmn]

http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/01/17/rad...eut/index.html

Radio station fires 10 staffers after contest death

LOS ANGELES, California (Reuters) -- A California radio station has fired 10 staff members after a contest to drink as much water as possible to win a new Nintendo Wii game console resulted in a woman's death, a company spokesman said Wednesday.

Jennifer Strange, 28, a mother of three, died from water intoxication after taking part in a "Hold your wee for a Wii" competition on a morning radio show on Sacramento station KDND-FM on Friday.

She was one of about 20 contestants who tried to outdrink each other without going to the toilet and was reported to have drunk about seven quarts of water in a bid to win the Wii for her children. She was the runner-up.

After the contest she called in sick at work and was found dead at her home about five hours later.

A spokesman for the station's parent company, Entercom/Sacramento, said 10 staff members, including several on-air DJs, had been fired from the station over the incident.

"They are no longer with the company for violating the terms of their employment agreements with the station," said the spokesman, without elaborating on contract details.

"This is part of an ongoing, thorough investigation."

Local newspapers said the Sacramento county coroner had yet to rule as to cause of death but said Strange's death was "consistent with a water intoxication death."

In an online recording of the show, the DJs can be heard making comments joking about people dying from water intoxication, even discussing a case in Northern California two years ago in which student Matthew Carrington, 21, died after drinking too much water during a fraternity pledge.

One of the DJs even admitted they maybe should have done some research before the contest.

One female caller, who identified herself as Eva, also phoned in to warn the radio station that drinking too much water can kill.

[BTFLCHLD]

wow what mothers will do for children. very sad...I had no idea and obv she didn't either. and for the station to receive the apparent warning and not research...they should be ashamed of themselves.

[becca]

Originally Posted by Miss Vicky

Apparently water intoxication messes up the balance of electrolytes in your body and causes your cells to swell. Which is, of course, incredibly bad if those cells happen to be in your brain or other vital organs.

I wonder if someone were to drink Smart Water with electrolytes if they'd be okay? Not that people should be doing dumb things like pushing extremes anyway... lots of people die running marathons too, or doing so-called sports like skydiving and base jumping. I always think "don't they care about their families?" but here it was for her family she did this. I might be tempted by a lasagna eating contest... what a way to go, but not tempted by plain water. You can never protect everybody from every possible thing.

[gldstwmn]

Family Sues Radio Station Over Death

http://www.foxnews.com/wires/2007Jan...cation,00.html

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The radio station disc jockeys who hosted an on-air water-drinking contest knew drinking too much water quickly could be fatal but dismissed the concerns with juvenile jokes, according to a wrongful death lawsuit filed Thursday by the family of a contestant.

Jennifer Lea Strange, a mother of three, died Jan. 12 hours after drinking as much as two gallons of water in the on-air promotion to win a video game console.

"The talent admitted during the broadcast that they should have done more research once various participants, including (Strange), began to report medical symptoms," according to the lawsuit filed in Sacramento County Superior Court. "Such conduct was despicable and so vile, base or contemptible that it would be looked down upon and despised by reasonable people."

Strange, 28, was one of about 18 contestants who tried to win a Nintendo Wii gaming console by seeing how much water they could drink without going to the bathroom. The disc jockeys on KDND-FM's "Morning Rave" program called the contest "Hold your Wee for a Wii."

The Sacramento-area station fired 10 employees after Strange's death.

The lawsuit names as defendants KDND's parent company, Entercom/Sacramento, and the on-air talent who hosted the contest, as well as employees and managers who organized, promoted and participated in the contest.

Strange was interviewed several hours into the program, saying she looked pregnant because her belly was swollen with water and complaining that her head hurt. "This is what it feels like when you're drowning," one of the disc jockeys said.

At one point, a listener who identified herself as a nurse called in to warn the disc jockeys that the stunt could be fatal, according to an audio tape of the broadcast.

"Yeah, we're aware of that," one of them responded.

Another DJ laughed: "Yeah, they signed releases, so we're not responsible. We're OK."

The lawsuit claims that Strange never signed a liability waiver. Instead, the form merely granted the station permission to use the contest in its promotional materials, said the family's attorney, Roger Dreyer.

The radio station would not comment directly about Thursday's lawsuit, Entercom spokesman Charles Sipkins said.

"We reiterate our deepest sympathies and condolences to the Strange family, but we do not comment on pending litigation," he said.

The lawsuit seeks unspecified medical, legal, burial and funeral costs. It also seeks punitive damages for the loss of companionship for Strange's husband, William, and the children, who are 11 months, 3 and 11 years old.

Also Thursday, a spokesman for the Federal Communications Commission, said the agency has joined the investigation into Strange's death at the request of the family. The family's lawyers have asked that KDND be taken off the air.

Like most California radio stations, KDND's broadcasting license expired Dec. 1, 2005. The station's renewal application is still pending, according to FCC records. The FCC could fine the station or deny its application for renewal if it finds wrongdoing.

[GardenStateGirlie]

while i feel people were not so intelligent for electing to do this, the radio station really should have done their research regarding the risks of having listeners consume that amount of water. any sort of contest where you have people eating/drinking anything is sure to put you at risk for a lawsuit -- not smart on their part at all.

wonder if her children ended up with the gaming system?