Woman drinks so much water she dies

Story Highlights
? Woman, 28, dies of water intoxication, assistant coroner says
? Radio contest required drinking large amounts, not voiding
? Victim was trying to win video game console for her children

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.

That's crazy. I wonder if the radio station will be held liable.

they should be held liable!!!!

I'm out in California and so far the radio station isn't talking...

I was wondering how they would prove a contest like that anyway...

Isn't it awful!  My mother is a VA nurse, and they have patients that are addicted to water.  They have to monitor them all the time, even when toileting!  She said that they will drink themselves to death if not watches... hmm, I'll have to ask her what the disorder is called...

Kelly

I don't think the radio station should be held liable at all.  I've no doubt someone will sue, considering our litigious society.  But did they force the water down her throat and refuse to allow her access to a bathroom?

Just because someone dangles a carrot doesn't mean you have to take it.  That's the beauty of free will.

That being said, it's a terrible waste and very sad that she passed.  Also sad she either didn't understand the consequences, or chose to ignore the possibility.

Her last name is SO ironic!

I honestly didn't even realize that you could harm yourself by drinking too much water! 

Guess you learn something every day ...

it's funny when you try to explain to people that you can drink too much water.  they think you're crazy. 

here's another case that happened

http://www.enquirer.com/editions/2001/03/26/l oc_recruits_buddies.html

I agree with pandajenn. I don't believe the radio station should be held liable.  It was a stupid stunt, but, in the end, no one forced that woman to drink water, and somewhere along the way, she has to have ignored some signs (the one time I drank too much water too fast (and DID go wee), I began to feel sick.)

Individuals who consume deadly amounts of water due to cravings are said to have polydipsia, don't hold me to the spelling though.

I saw an episode of The Endurance, a Japanese game show, once in which the contestants had to drink a certain amount of beer and then not pee.  The person who lasted the longest without peeing won. And they were clad only in their skivvies and the setting was a snowy outdoor location.

There's no accountin' for people and what they will do when they want to win something.

I have to admit that the show was at first humorous as they showed the men in obvious anguish about wanting to pee and trying to hold it in.  But after a few minutes I thought "I'm watching people try not to pee.  What is wrong with me that I think this is entertainment!?"

So I changed the channel.  There was, however, nothing on.

And that, exactly, is why I almost never watch TV anymore, nomo...

I think that's horrible! Those poor kids :(

The radio station has a responsibility to make sure any contests they offer are safe before putting them forth to listeners...

I know it is deviating a little from the subject, but kind of the same thing too... On one hand I agree that not everyone is educated in every possible field and a warning might be necessary in some cases. On the other hand, there are people who do stupid things all the time bc they don't "think further than the end of their nose" (that's the translation of a French expression) and then they sue companies that did not put "enough" warning signs on the labels. That's why there are so many silly warnings on marchandises in the US: because someone doing something stupid might sue the manufacturer instead of taking responsability for their acts. I know, in this case it is really too bad the woman died. But I am not sure I would go in favor of sueing the rasio station.

She didn't die from holding it in, she died because she depleted the amount of sodium in her body. Drinking excessive amounts of water can do that. And it's why sports-drinks, with added electrolytes, exist.

If the radio station did not caution the contestants about the potential risks or provide medical supervision to screen for side effects, they're negligent.

I agree with secret.  I think that before the contest, the radio station should have done some research & given the appropriate warnings.  

Well, it's the perfect example of an ethical dilemma....

a libertarian would say that the woman is responsible for her own actions, period.

a more socialist minded person would say that the radio station bears some responsibility to provide information about the risks of taking part in the contest and if they didn't, they share responsibility for the outcome

a conservative would say that ...  when you take risks, you reap the benefits or suffer the consequences, in this case, death for the woman and a lawsuit for the station, and this is the natural order of things, thus proving that the marketplace is the best arbiter of justice

....  but I sure hope that her children have some family nearby who can take care of them and help them heal....

hmmmm, very interesting nomo... now I'm not sure which of the three I am... 

those poor kids will probably never play video games again.

I feel so bad about this because the woman probably didn't realize she could DIE from the contest. She was just trying to do something for her kids. It's so unfortunate!

Wild. I thought my Army pal was fibbing when he said that people could actually drink themselves to death via H2O.  You need the nutrients your body retains... I just didn't think that one afternoon of over-indulgence of water could kill you! Thank goodness there's nutritional value in beer or I'da been in trouble in college!