Woman dies after water-drinking contest

[Jade Tigress]

We've had the discussion of drinking too much water here before. I thought I'd post this. Too much of anything is bad.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. - Contestants in a radio stunt called "Hold Your Wee for a Wii" have revealed new details about an on-air water drinking contest that left a 28-year-old mother of three dead.
Jennifer Lea Strange died after drinking well over a half gallon of water Friday during the "Morning Rave" program on KDND-FM. About 18 contestants vied for a Nintendo Wii gaming console by drinking as much water as they could without going to the bathroom; Strange took second place.

"It is sad that a mother had to lose her life to get something for her kids," he said. "None of us knew this could be a risk to our health."

Article.

 

[Andrew Green]

One thing I don't like is that this sort of thing can be used to justify a false sense of fear. In reality most people don't drink enough water, and it is very hard to drink too much to the point of this. You would need to be in a contest or something, and even then, it's not easy to run into problems.

 

[KempoGuy06]

One thing I don't like is that this sort of thing can be used to justify a false sense of fear. In reality most people don't drink enough water, and it is very hard to drink too much to the point of this. You would need to be in a contest or something, and even then, it's not easy to run into problems.

well said. To drink enough water to kill you would be an incredible feat. What is sad is that they probably failed to mention that she hadnt had anything to eat in a good number of hours either because to much water and not enough food in your body can have ill effects because it thins your blood and a whole list of other things. I drink a gallon or more a day (dont quote me on this i havent actually added it all up but i know i drink a lot of water, i will keep a tab to see how much i take in), more than that whether or not i hit the gym that day and im still kickin (no pun intended).

B

 

[michaeledward]

It makes you wonder if this woman's kidneys had an underlying problem.
The wiki article says that the kidneys can process .4 gallons of water per hour, which is just about how much the contestents took in during the first hour. Of course, the article doesn't report how much water she consumed, or how long she participated in the contest. But, at 8 ounces every ten minutes, the contestents consumed .5 gallons in 70 minutes.

But, this shows people will do some really stupid stuff to get on the radio, or to get a free toy, eh?

 

[Andrew Green]

Exactly, the article ignores a lot. Did she dehydrate her self for 2 days before hand to "prepare"? Did she also skip eating to "make more room"? Was there existing conditions?

Most people would have to work pretty hard at it to die from drinking water.

 

[Xue Sheng]

"None of us knew this could be a risk to our health."

Give me a break, can you say irresponsible. They didn't check with anyone...say a medical person before trying this????

I know many do not drink enough water but I also know that drinking to much can be fatal.

 

[Stan]

Wait, I don't get it. I thought water was good for you. So now it's bad. And here I was all this time drinking water. Which is it- is water GOOD or BAD?

I'm confused.

 

[Xue Sheng]

Water Intoxication

http://chemistry.about.com/cs/5/f/blwaterintox.htm

http://www.answers.com/topic/water-intoxication

 

[Andrew Green]

No kidding.

Marijuana is impossible to overdoss on and die. Water it is posible. Therefor Water is more dangerous then Marijuana. So, time for the War on Drugs to launch a offensive on the massive quantites of water available at low prices for the sake of the children who might be tempted by it.

 

[tellner]

"Reasonable standard of care"
"Knew or should have known"
"Criminal negligence"
"Inciting hazardous behavior"
"Due care and diligence"

These are the sorts of words of which lawsuits are made. The stupid cork soakers (coke sackers? sock tuckers? caulk sockers?) who dreamed this thing up are "radio personalities", but that doesn't excuse them from doing a little research before coming up with this stupid-*** stunt. It's not common, but it's not that rare. They're going to have a non-consensual interaction with the court system, probably criminal as well as civil. And they deserve everything that is going to happen to them.

 

[KempoGuy06]

"Reasonable standard of care"
"Knew or should have known"
"Criminal negligence"
"Inciting hazardous behavior"
"Due care and diligence"

These are the sorts of words of which lawsuits are made. The stupid cork soakers (coke sackers? sock tuckers? caulk sockers?) who dreamed this thing up are "radio personalities", but that doesn't excuse them from doing a little research before coming up with this stupid-*** stunt. It's not common, but it's not that rare. They're going to have a non-consensual interaction with the court system, probably criminal as well as civil. And they deserve everything that is going to happen to them.

I agree. Like someone said before i know that drinking too much water can be fatal. How hard is it use google these days? Come on people.

No kidding.

Marijuana is impossible to overdoss on and die. Water it is posible. Therefor Water is more dangerous then Marijuana. So, time for the War on Drugs to launch a offensive on the massive quantites of water available at low prices for the sake of the children who might be tempted by it.

LOL this was sad and funny. Sad because it is true and funny because...well...its just frickin funny.

B

 

[Shirt Ripper]

I once downed a litre and a half by basically jugging it. A little nose breathing but...

 

[michaeledward]

Wait, I don't get it. I thought water was good for you. So now it's bad. And here I was all this time drinking water. Which is it- is water GOOD or BAD?

I'm confused.

I don't know where it is good or bad ... .but this other stuff sure is scary ... it is just horrible ... .something called dihydrogen monoxide.

Dihydrogen Monoxide (DHMO) is a colorless and odorless chemical compound, also referred to by some as Dihydrogen Oxide, Hydrogen Hydroxide, Hydronium Hydroxide, or simply Hydric acid. Its basis is the unstable radical Hydroxide, the components of which are found in a number of caustic, explosive and poisonous compounds such as Sulfuric Acid, Nitroglycerine and Ethyl Alcohol.

Spooky stuff .....

Each year, Dihydrogen Monoxide is a known causative component in many thousands of deaths and is a major contributor to millions upon millions of dollars in damage to property and the environment. Some of the known perils of Dihydrogen Monoxide are:

• Death due to accidental inhalation of DHMO, even in small quantities.
• Prolonged exposure to solid DHMO causes severe tissue damage.
• Excessive ingestion produces a number of unpleasant though not typically life-threatening side-effects.
• DHMO is a major component of acid rain.
• Gaseous DHMO can cause severe burns.
• Contributes to soil erosion.
• Leads to corrosion and oxidation of many metals.
• Contamination of electrical systems often causes short-circuits.
• Exposure decreases effectiveness of automobile brakes.
• Found in biopsies of pre-cancerous tumors and lesions.
• Given to vicious dogs involved in recent deadly attacks.
• Often associated with killer cyclones in the U.S. Midwest and elsewhere, and in hurricanes including deadly storms in Florida, New Orleans and other areas of the southeastern U.S.
• Thermal variations in DHMO are a suspected contributor to the El Nino weather effect.

Learn more here ... www.dhmo.org

 

[Kacey]

No kidding.

Marijuana is impossible to overdoss on and die. Water it is posible. Therefor Water is more dangerous then Marijuana. So, time for the War on Drugs to launch a offensive on the massive quantites of water available at low prices for the sake of the children who might be tempted by it.

The difference being, you can live without ingesting marijuana; lack of water (ingested either directly or within another substance) is deadly.

Learn more here ... www.dhmo.org

I've seen that one before... amazing what changing the sequence of elements in the molecular name can do for a substance.

 

[Jonathan Randall]

It's the talk around the water cooler at the office where I work (in Sacramento). Apparently the tragedy is magnified by the fact that a person called the station in the beginning of the contest and warned (and scolded) the DJ's that this could be extremely dangerous. From what I hear, the DJ scoffed at this and stated that he didn't worry because he was covered by a release (contestants sign a release). The station has since cancelled the show. Not too long ago, a Chico (in Northern California like Sacramento) student died in the same type of stunt, dare or something in his case, so the effects were not unknowable to an informed Northern California resident.

 

[tellner]

They were warned? They knew? They said it didn't matter?

Ooh, baby! "Reckless disregard for human life". It doesn't matter that they cancelled the show and sacked everyone who worked for it. They are screwed beyond human belief. The waiver will get blown through by the lawyers. And the criminal charges get more likely.

 

[exile]

It's the talk around the water cooler at the office where I work (in Sacramento). Apparently the tragedy is magnified by the fact that a person called the station in the beginning of the contest and warned (and scolded) the DJ's that this could be extremely dangerous. From what I hear, the DJ scoffed at this and stated that he didn't worry because he was covered by a release (contestants sign a release). The station has since cancelled the show. Not too long ago, a Chico (in Northern California like Sacramento) student died in the same type of stunt, dare or something in his case, so the effects were not unknowable to an informed Northern California resident.

Any time you mess with electrolyte balance, you're asking for severe, life-threatening trouble. Electrolytes are the basis for the propagation of neural signals—screwed up electrolytes, screwed up nervous system, which can implicate the heart since the neural signals saying `pump... ok, pump again... and now again...' don't get through. Bodybuilders on radical diuretic regimes, to get that surreal shredded look, young girls going through bulemic/anorexic trauma, and many others put themselves in harm's way at a potentially fatal level. It sounds to me, from what the story and the various news reports are saying, that this woman did something like that... It's not that water is bad. But if you reduce the concentration of electrolytes below a certain point by increasing body fluid content unnaturally, something is going to go horribly wrong....

 

[KempoGuy06]

Any time you mess with electrolyte balance, you're asking for severe, life-threatening trouble. Electrolytes are the basis for the propagation of neural signals—screwed up electrolytes, screwed up nervous system, which can implicate the heart since the neural signals saying `pump... ok, pump again... and now again...' don't get through. Bodybuilders on radical diuretic regimes, to get that surreal shredded look, young girls going through bulemic/anorexic trauma, and many others put themselves in harm's way at a potentially fatal level. It sounds to me, from what the story and the various news reports are saying, that this woman did something like that... It's not that water is bad. But if you reduce the concentration of electrolytes below a certain point by increasing body fluid content unnaturally, something is going to go horribly wrong....

Whats that saying..."too much of a good thing is a bad thing". Its a shame how people can so ignorant and that this woman had to lose her life as a result of their ignorance.

Like tellner said, it doesnt matter what kind of waiver they have the lawyer will look at it and laugh and then tear the radio station apart piece by piece in the court room. Serves them right

B

 

[dubljay]

KDND 107.9, The US radio station whose 'Hold your wee for a Wii' contest led to the death of a mother of three, has fired 10 staff involved - including five on-air personalities - after reports suggest that they made jokes after listeners expressed concerns over water intoxication on air.

http://www.computerandvideogames.com/article.php?id=155667

 

[Jonathan Randall]

http://www.computerandvideogames.com/article.php?id=155667

Apparently, one of the callers who raised objections over the safety of the contest was a nurse. It appears that these radio folks were grossly irresponsible and, in my opinion, perhaps criminally negligent. What a damn fool stunt to play.