Women Dies in "Hold Your Wee for a Wii" Contest

[Serren]

This is a local story gone national. The women who died lived in my community! What a strange way to go....

Sunday January 14, 01:48 PM
US woman dies of water intoxication
A 28-year-old woman has died of water intoxication after taking part in a Californian radio station's water drinking contest.

She was in the "Hold Your Wee for a Wii" competition trying to win a Nintendo Wii video game system.

Assistant Sacramento County Coroner Ed Smith said a preliminary investigation found evidence "consistent with a water intoxication death".

Jennifer Strange's mother found her daughter's body at her home on Friday in the Sacramento suburb of Rancho Cordova, California, after Strange called her supervisor at her job to say she was heading home in terrible pain.

"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."

Earlier Friday, Strange took part in a contest at radio station KDND 107.9 in which participants competed to see how much water they could drink without going to the toilet.

Initially, contestants were handed 220mL 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, California.

"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 kids."

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. Source: Link

And a local news story on YouTube

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QuAJPXmwAys

[Peench]

Wow. That is sad. How unfortunate.

[Jon Liu]

That's horrible. I wouldn't imagine that it would have that kind of affect but, dang! That's a very unlikely way to die... not something people think would happen really.

[ZoomZoom71]

Tragic. I wonder if any legal documents were signed holding the radio station harmless.

[Peench]

Originally Posted by ZoomZoom71

Tragic. I wonder if any legal documents were signed holding the radio station harmless.

I would be surprised if there wasn't.

[Quo]

Really, really sad. Sounds like she was a fun mom who loved her kids. I would venture a guess that most people, myself included, were totally unaware that there was a risk associated with drinking too much water. I guess if you think about it much, too much of anything will make you sick.

Tragic.

[ZoomZoom71]

I've heard of water poisoning before. I guess it's along the lines of over-diluting your body's internal resources.

[Fragmintz]

Despite any releases, is it still possible that the radio station was recklessly endangering the lives of the contestants? I wonder if water poisoning was even a risk mentioned in the waiver. In any case, this is tragic and it is exactly the reason that I only enter contests where you need to drink battery acid.

[Serren]

I few years back at a local state college hazing event, a student died of the exact same thing. That was big news back then. I am sure a lawsuit will be filed, waiver or not.

[AlphaQ GehaD]

Thats horrible, I remember as a kid asking my father those stupid questions, He always said Don't over eat and not to drink too much soda. I asked him sarcasticly Is it bad if I Keep drinking water non stop? Suprisingly he said Yes, Too much of anything wheather good or bad will Harm you in one way or another. Proof is all around man.

[D_Litch]

Damn.

[Fragmintz]

And don't listen to Monkey - he'll tell you to drink soda w/pop rocks which is how the kid from the LIFE commercials, Mikey, bought it.

[Serren]

The dj's that hosted this drinking contest are off the air indefinitely.

They may be facing manslaughter charges! I guess since a nurse called in and warned them about the dangers it is making them look even more negligent.

[Peench]

Woah. That's really bad.

[Serren]

The latest update is that the three on-air dj's and seven other support staff for the morning show were fired last night for breach of contract.

[Peench]

Wow. Looks like the station is trying to distance themselves to avoid liability on a potential suit. Crazy. And still very sad.