Woman Dies After Water Drinking Contest
California Woman Dies Of Water Intoxication After Taking Part In Radio Station Contest
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(AP)
Assistant Sacramento County Coroner Ed Smith said Saturday a preliminary investigation found evidence "consistent with a water intoxication death."
Jennifer Strange's mother found her daughter's body at her home 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 coworkers 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 bathroom.
Initially, contestants were handed eight-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 Year 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."
The winner of the "Hold Your Wee for a Wii" contest was promised a Nintendo Wii video game system.
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.
© MMVII The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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See all 44 CommentsStupid contest. Plain and simple.
Reports are that the DJ hosting the program was specifically warned of the risks by a heathcare practitioner, dismissed the warning, and held the contest anyway.
That means he cannot claim *ignorance*.
It makes it manslaughter at best. It might make it worse than that, since the motive was to poison someone for amusement, quite an atrocity.
This should be treated precisely the same as if the contest was "eat as much rat poison as you can for a trip to disneyland." How would you feel if someone died in *that* contest? This is no different.
"Radio DJs are stupid little pukes with no social consciousness doing anything and everything for self promotion regardless of degradation or risk. Low life scumsbags. Everything is a big joke to them.
Posted by cbgb31 at 04:12 PM : Jan 14, 2007"
Right on. Includes their leader, Howard Stern.
Here's a new contest the radio station might try: "Whoever can hold on to these electrodes the longest, as we increase the voltage, wins a new Wii! Now,if you don't think you can do this, don't put your health at risk"
Only a moron would put such a contest together and think he/she could escape liability. I hope the radio station is worth millions because Jennifer's kids will need it, and more.
THE OWNERS/MANAGEMENT DID NOT RESEARCH THIS CONTEST NOR DID THEY HAVE MEDICAL STAFF AVAILABLE IN CASE OF A PROBLEM - THIS IS NOT ACCEPTABLE AND PEOPLE HAVE THE VOICE TO MAKE CHANGE AND PLEASE SPEAK UP CALL THE SACRAEMNTO DIST. ATTORNEYS OFFICE - THIS COULD VERY WELL HAPPEN AGAIN IF THIS IS NOT TAKEN TO THE LAW - CIVIL TOO.
WE THE PEOPLE WILL FIND OUT WHO THE OWNERS ARE AND THE PARENT COMPANY , MANAGEMENT ETC AND
JENNIFER STRANGE HER NAME WILL BECOME A LAW, WATCH AND SEE THIS IS JUST THE START OF ENDING
"THE END 107.9" PLEASE HELP CALL SACRAMENTO DISTRICT ATTORNEYS OFFICE -
(HELP) SOMEONE YOU KNOW AND LOVE MAY PARTICIPATE IN A RADIO STATION CONTEST IN YOUR AREA AND DIE OR BE PERM.DISABLED SPEAK OUT AND HELP SAVE A LIFE, THIS RADIO STATION IS RESPONSIBLE FOR HER DEATH.
In a word, yes. Drinking too much water can lead to a condition known as water intoxication and to a related problem resulting from the dilution of sodium in the body, hyponatremia. Water intoxication is most commonly seen in infants under six months of age and sometimes in athletes. A baby can get water intoxication as a result of drinking several bottles of water a day or from drinking infant formula that has been diluted too much. Athletes can also suffer from water intoxication. Athletes sweat heavily, losing both water and electrolytes. Water intoxication and hyponatremia result when a dehydrated person drinks too much water without the accompanying electrolytes.
Think about that at the next pie eating contest, beer drinking contest, or any other contest that you put excess amounts of any substance into or onto your body.
This was tragic, but I'm sure no one intentionally meant for a death to occur.
The public should educate themselves and their friends and family.
Likewise, the promoters should educate themselves of the risks and possible liabilities.
Neither party is blameless here.
Think about that at the next pie eating contest, beer drinking contest, or any other contest that you put excess amounts of any substance into or onto your body.
This was tragic, but I'm sure no one intentionally meant for a death to occur.
The public should educate themselves and their friends and family.
Likewise, the promoters should educate themselves of the risks and possible liabilities.
Neither party is blameless here.
Think about that at the next pie eating contest, beer drinking contest, or any other contest that you put excess amounts of any substance into or onto your body.
This was tragic, but I'm sure no one intentionally meant for a death to occur.
The public should educate themselves and their friends and family.
Likewise, the promoters should educate themselves of the risks and possible liabilities.
Neither party is blameless here.
We can all learn from this.
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See all 44 Comments