Woman Dies After Water Drinking Contest

California Woman Dies Of Water Intoxication After Taking Part In Radio Station Contest

(AP)  A 28-year-old woman died of water intoxication after taking part in a radio station's water drinking contest to win a Nintendo Wii video game system, the coroner's office said.

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.

[ergal77]

I agree with nursemo24. The company should have done their research. Although, "no one held a gun to her head" or "no one made her do it" she probably did it figuring if a radio station is holding this contest then it must be safe, huh? It is bizarre to think you can die from drinking too much water, but it does happen. It's different from drinking it for an ultrasound to fill your bladder. It's a matter of how much you consume in how much time. You don't vomit, your body absorbs it and further dilutes your system. All in all, the station probably knew there were some risks, but held it anyway. Had she known what the risks involved I'm sure she wouldn't have put herself and now her family through this.

Stupid contest. Plain and simple.

[nanekigigi]

The same thing happened in Chico State University with a fraternity where a pledge died of hyponatremia (water intoxication). You would think that being a radio station in California they might've been a little bit more informed about what happened in CSU. I guess you can't expect everyone to be informed.

[james0tucson]

Homicide!

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.

[jabberwock11]

Why must corporate entities always be held responsible? It was more the woman's fault than the Radio Station's. If you do something stupid it's your own fault. No one made her participate. The bottom line is that everyone does stupid things from time to time. If you are unlucky those things may cost you money, your health or even your life. It doesn't matter if you were influenced by others or not. You ultimately have to take responsibly for your own actions.

[iypopeye]

Scanned the comments & found my favorite:

"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.

[iypopeye]

Yep we should be responsible for what we do. In this case, that includes the radio station managers, who said 'if you don't think you can do this, don't put your health at risk'. So THEY knew there was a risk even if Jennifer didn't recognize it. They failed to explore the risk any further; they just washed their hands of it and held out the Wii. Bad idea!

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.

[nursemo24]

Before any company decides to do a contest, they should do this little step called RESEARCH. What are the risks if any and so on. Before anyone enters a contest they should also do a little research. Excessive consumption of water is extremely dangerous. Your body has no place to store the extra water and it can lead to edema....especially cerebral edema. All the water dilutes your electrolytes too. I'm baffled that no one knew this or checked into it prior. What a sad event.

[tracylee9]

SACRAMENTO DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE PRESS CHARGES-THIS IS A CRIMINAL CASE AND THE MANAGEMENT/OWNERS ARE RESPONSIBLE-THIS CONTEST CAN AND HAS CAUSED DEATHS-THEY ARE RESPONSIBLE

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.

[cacee13601]

Can You Really Drink Too Much Water?

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.

[cacee13601]

ok i have to say i agree with trackers55 on this one.. but ummm ive drank a massive ammount of water and had to hold it before.. (umm, mom of 3) i had 6 ultrasounds with my first child and i had to drink water and hold it and never had a problem and they never told me that i could possibly die from it!!! ive never heard of it but i guess anything is possible.. but nobody made her do it.. and you would think that she would have thrown up.. hmmm odd but ok.. i feel bad for her family cuz they lost a loved one but it was an accident what else are you going to do?? sue who for it?? the radio station for a contest?? umm ok its a contest.. totally voluntary so lets not get into that..

[SoFlor00]

Why don't you knuckleheads all get a life and go take a long walk. After that remember to drink lots of water!

[aj_pinkrose]

I have heard of water intoxication. The radio station should have done a little bit of research before doing that contest. I guess they will set some standards now on contests. It's to bad those kids had to lose their mother, when she was trying to do something for them. Since the radio station had the contest and did not check what could happen they are responsible. SUE them!

[pakuna802]

Pure ignorance, plain and simple. Listen up people. Too much of anything can kill.
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.

[pakuna802]

Pure ignorance, plain and simple. Listen up people. Too much of anything can kill.
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.

[pakuna802]

Pure ignorance, plain and simple. Listen up people. Too much of anything can kill.
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.

[trackers55]

Noone put a GUN to her head to make her do this. She did this to herself. I am sorry that this happened but We have got to take Responsibility for what WE do, and not try to blame others for our mistakes.
We can all learn from this.

Give me a break,,, not a one of you in here has ever heard of the term "water intoxication" until now, and yet you all are expects in this case....what a bunch of losers

[cbone60]

I have agree with cbgb31. DJs need to be licensed to open their mouths. Way too many utter sexist, classist, racist, ignorant garbage to gain a greater users share. They show no socially redeeming responsibility and serve no socially redeeming function whatsoever.

[delidel66]

You have got to be kidding me!!! I mean it is a shame she died but nobody held her down and forced her to drink the water, she made a choice. She is not a victim. why does everybody want to blame everyone else for thier own choice. STAND UP AND TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR YOURSELF AMERICA!!!! Besides, Would you expect something like that to happen? I wouldn't and obviously, neither did she, so why blame the radio station?

[saf5455]

The radio station didn't seem to care that they could be sued for this. The family should definately sue all those involved with the contest.