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US woman dies of water intoxication

PostPosted: Mon Jan 15, 2007 1:45 am
by djcraig
http://au.news.yahoo.com/070114/2/1228q.html

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.

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PostPosted: Mon Jan 15, 2007 1:51 am
by i_like_lectric_motors
So, is it safe to assume she lost?





-------
Results:
Too much damage done. Go away. [78%] 63 votes
Yah! Kimiiii is back! Hip hip hooray! [22%] 18 votes

PostPosted: Mon Jan 15, 2007 2:22 am
by Frau_Blucher
It really sucks for her three kids that she was trying to win the Wii for. And it's not like she was engaging in something that most people would know is even dangerous. This definitely isn't one of those "Darwin Award" things. Totally senseless. But we're just a bunch of cells...little bags of water. If osmotic pressue goes way in inbalance, either hyper- or de-hybration, then they all start to die. Fuckinhell. Horrible.

PostPosted: Mon Jan 15, 2007 2:45 am
by NuWaveRx
"all things in moderation..."

I've seen of couple of compulsive water drinkers in my hospitals (turn off the water from the tap--they would drink from the toilet--no lie...). So much free water that the serum sodium would drop into the 112-115 mEq/L range (normal is 135-145 mEq/L) Seizures and death can result from this. I'll echo Blir--I feel terrible for her kids[:(]

PostPosted: Mon Jan 15, 2007 2:46 am
by enzfan
At least when you are drinking booze you pass out when your body tells you to quit.

PostPosted: Mon Jan 15, 2007 3:15 am
by NuWaveRx
[quote][i]Originally posted by enzfan[/i]
<br>At least when you are drinking booze you pass out when your body tells you to quit.
[/quote]


That may often be true, but I daresay that acute alcohol poisoning kills a lot more people than water intoxication each year!

PostPosted: Mon Jan 15, 2007 4:00 am
by Bitter Almonds
<p align="justify">It's something most people never think about, but something I learned when I got to university. I think it was Paracelsus who said something to the extent of anything in high amounts has the potential to be toxic[xx(] Whoever held the contest should be liable for negligence.

PostPosted: Mon Jan 15, 2007 4:10 am
by KYYX4ever
I remember reading once that when Ecstacy was the rage at raves (or other events), "water intoxication" was the cause of death for a couple of these kids. It wasn't ODing on E, it was water intoxication! I guess being on E interferes with your body's ability to know when it's had enough water, and too much water can totally mess up the electrolyte balance in your brain and system.. XXX is right; I bet nobody ever thinks about this. Weird, huh.

PostPosted: Tue Jan 16, 2007 6:10 am
by Spit
[quote][i]Originally posted by i_like_lectric_motors[/i]
<br>So, is it safe to assume she lost?





-------
Results:
Too much damage done. Go away. [78%] 63 votes
Yah! Kimiiii is back! Hip hip hooray! [22%] 18 votes


[/quote]

This reply reminds me of a joke from the old Fat Albert show.

Fat Alberts buddy says "Fat Albert ,you like school on Saturday ".Then Fat Albert says back to his buddy "what you mean I'm like shcool on Saturday ?" His buddy replies " NO CLASS ".

PostPosted: Tue Jan 16, 2007 6:24 am
by i_like_lectric_motors
Wow, such a deep and well thought out reply. All I can say is that it's up to you if you want to feel sorry for someone too stupid to know that drinking huge amounts of water can kill you. Just don't expect me to give a shit what you think.



-------
Results:
Too much damage done. Go away. [78%] 63 votes
Yah! Kimiiii is back! Hip hip hooray! [22%] 18 votes

PostPosted: Tue Jan 16, 2007 7:17 am
by Spit
[quote][i]Originally posted by i_like_lectric_motors[/i]
<br>Wow, such a deep and well thought out reply. All I can say is that it's up to you if you want to feel sorry for someone too stupid to know that drinking huge amounts of water can kill you. Just don't expect me to give a shit what you think.



-------
Results:
Too much damage done. Go away. [22%] 18 votes
Yah! Kimiiii is back! Hip hip hooray! [78%] 63 votes


[/quote]
Expect YOU to give a shit motors , never. Sorry this reply is not deep and well thought out . This is about all it's worth.

PostPosted: Tue Jan 16, 2007 8:28 am
by ben_at_work
Now, now you two. It's been so peaceful around here.

Heck, if bedlam hasn't broke out in the God thread please don't let it start in the "water intoxication" thread. [;)]

PostPosted: Tue Jan 16, 2007 8:40 am
by NuWaveRx
[quote][i]Originally posted by i_like_lectric_motors[/i]
<br>Wow, such a deep and well thought out reply. All I can say is that it's up to you if you want to feel sorry for someone too stupid to know that drinking huge amounts of water can kill you. Just don't expect me to give a shit what you think.
[/quote]

I'm not so sure you can confine this lady to the likes of "The Darwin Awards", Motors. My guess is a large majority of the U.S. public probably doesn't realize that you can overdose on just about anything, including something like water. Something tells me if this had been a "drink all the beer you can hold contest" the lawyers would never have let it out of the gate, and even if they did something like a consent sheet would have to signed. You can't tell from the story above, but I'll bet no one explained to these people that their activity could be dangerous.

Regardless of what she should of should not have known, her kids will be paying for this for a very long time. To me that's the saddest part of this story.

PostPosted: Tue Jan 16, 2007 8:43 am
by enzfan
What ever happened to good ol' goldfish swallowing to win contests?

PostPosted: Tue Jan 16, 2007 10:19 am
by NuWaveRx
[quote][i]Originally posted by enzfan[/i]
<br>What ever happened to good ol' goldfish swallowing to win contests?
[/quote]


The goldfish kept climaxing too soon?[:p]