Hold your Pee for Wii turns tragic from Radio Station Promotion

[Phil Hellmuth]

Those radio station fukheads deserve to be locked up.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20070114.wwater0114/BNStory/International/home

Woman dies of water intoxication after radio contest
Associated Press

Sacramento, Calif. — 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.

“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 Ms. Strange's co-workers at Radiological Associates of Sacramento. “She was crying and that was the last that anyone had heard from her.”

It was not immediately know how much water Strange consumed.


John Geary, vice president and marketing manager for Entercom Sacramento, the station's owner, said station personnel were stunned when they heard of Ms. Strange's death.

“We are awaiting information that will help explain how this tragic event occurred,” he said.

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 Ybarra of Woodland. “They told us if you don't feel like you can do this, don't put your health at risk.”

Mr. Ybarra said he quit after drinking five bottles. “My bladder couldn't handle it any more,” he added.

After he quit, he said, the remaining contestants, including Ms. Strange, were given even bigger bottles to drink.

“I was talking to her and she was a nice lady,” Mr. Ybarra said. “She was telling me about her family and her three kids and how she was doing it for kids.”

[Useruser666]

I'm sure her children can buy a Wii with the lawsuit money. What a bad idea.......

[Clandestino]

i can't believe the radio station lawyers approved of this contest. so many frats have already found out that too much water can be dangerous. idiots.

[LaMarcus Bryant]

its all nintendo's fault for naming their system so gayly
of course a contest like this would have been inevitable after that

[SpursWoman]

so many frats have already found out that too much water can be dangerous. idiots.


:tu

I can't believe that never crossed anyone's mind. :(

[jman3000]

can you die if you hold your poop in for too long? i know it may sound childish because i said poop... but i'm really curious.

[exstatic]

can you die if you hold your poop in for too long? i know it may sound childish because i said poop... but i'm really curious.
You can die if you hold ANYTHING in too long.

[Trainwreck2100]

But did she win???

[baseline bum]

But did she win???

2nd place.

[Zombie Terri Schiavo]

some girls have all the luck

[Fillmoe]

looks like its the end for The End

[Fillmoe]

u asking me like i live in sac........ shits cold as fuck here.... so im assuming its pretty dam cold in sac too......

[ShoogarBear]

i can't believe the radio station lawyers approved of this contest. so many frats have already found out that too much water can be dangerous. idiots.That was my first thought, too.

The family is going to own that radio station by the time this is done.

[Useruser666]

That radio station is toast! They should have their license permanently revoked and have criminal charges filed against them.


Sheriff investigates radio contest death
POSTED: 8:35 p.m. EST, January 17, 2007
Story Highlights
• Woman died in water drinking contest
• Company: Staffers violated employment agreements
• Recording shows DJ joking about risks
• Caller warned of potential for death
Adjust font size:
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LOS ANGELES, California (Reuters) -- A U.S. sheriff opened an investigation Wednesday into the death of a 28-year-old woman who died after taking part in a California radio contest in which contestants had to drink as much water as possible.

Sacramento station KDND-FM has fired 10 staff members over Friday's competition, called "Hold your wee for a Wii," in which about 20 people tried to out-drink each other without going to the toilet to win a Nintendo Wii games console.

Jennifer Strange, 28, a mother of three, died from suspected water intoxication after coming second. She was reported to have drunk about seven quarts of water in a bid to win the Wii for her children.

After the contest she called in sick at work and was found dead at her home about five hours later. (Full story)

Water intoxication, also known as hyperhydration or water poisoning, is potentially fatal and can cause irregular heartbeat, fluid in the lungs and swelling of the brain.

A spokesman for the station's parent company, Entercom/Sacramento, said 10 staff members, including several on-air DJs, had been fired over the incident.

"They are no longer with the company for violating the terms of their employment agreements with the station," said the spokesman, without elaborating on contract details. "This is part of an ongoing, thorough investigation."

The Sacramento County Sheriff's Department later Wednesday said it had decided to open an investigation into Strange's death.

"We have new information that has come to light from audio tapes of the show," said spokesman Sgt. Timothy Curran.

"We have decided we will open a death investigation which will take weeks and on conclusion our findings will be forwarded to the local district attorney to decide whether to lay criminal charges."

The Sacramento county coroner has yet to rule as to the cause of death but has said Strange's death was "consistent with a water intoxication death."

"We have not heard from the sheriff's department but we will of course cooperate with their investigation," said Charles Sipkins, a spokesman for Entercom/Sacramento.

In an online recording of the show, the DJs can be heard making comments joking about people dying from water intoxication, even discussing a case in Northern California two years ago in which student Matthew Carrington, 21, died after drinking too much water during a fraternity stunt.

One of the DJs even admitted they maybe should have done some research before the contest.

One female caller, who identified herself as Eva, also phoned in to warn the radio station that drinking too much water can kill.

Copyright 2007 Reuters. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

[CubanMustGo]

Assholes deserve whatever they get from the courts. Ha fucking ha, killing people over a video game system is SO funny.

[boutons_]

Beavis and Butthead and Jackass on the radio,
and by the 1000s in the radio audience.

[Fillmoe]

http://www.sacbee.com/static/newsroom/kdndslides/

[Mookie_is_a_chode_face]

http://www.sacbee.com/static/newsroom/kdndslides/
I really want to hear the DJ's reaction to when they find out someone died.

[Useruser666]

Checkmate on the radio station. Everyone should listen to that. The DJs should get probation for the rest of their lives on top of whatever jail time they should be receiving. They knew there was a danger, they were warned about it, and yet they kept on like there was no danger.

They said there was no danger because "people will just vomit up the water before it kills them", is utterly stupid. If that were the case every DWI would just vomit up the booze before the cops could pull them over.

[Jimcs50]

You can die if you hold ANYTHING in too long.


TPark is still alive and he has held his personality in for years.


:)

[ShoogarBear]

Yeah, it's getting harder and harder not to criminally prosecute the DJs, at least.

[Jimcs50]

Seriously, you have to be held accountable for your own actions sometimes.

It was not like an MD told the patient to drink water and not pee for 2 days. I mean who is ever accountable for their own stupidity and actions nowadays?

Just this morning I read that some parents started litigation towards My Space because their 14 yr old daughter was raped by a 25 yr old guy she met from the site.

[ShoogarBear]

And here it comes:




Lawyer Promises Justice In Water Death Suit



(CBS13) SACRAMENTO What sticks out in the mind of Roger Dryer, the lawyer for the family of Jennifer Strange is this: the contest he claims could have and should have been stopped.

"There's one step after another where there was the opportunity to do the right thing, the responsible thing, do the ethical thing. They went right by them,” said Dryer.

From the comment made by one of the DJ’s, "Can't someone like die or something from too much water?" To the nurse who called in with the water warning.

Dreyer will try to prove the radio station should have known it was putting people's lives at risk.

"And she's dying in front of their eyes, and driving home. She goes into a coma and gets home,” said Dryer.

A few hours later, Jennifer Strange would die in her Rancho Cordova home, her body found by her mother, "And she is forced to find her daughter on the floor of the bathroom, blue and dead,” recounted Dryer.

The wrongful death claim will not just go after the DJ’s whose firings Dreyer calls a weak attempt by management of KDND and Entercom to distance themselves from what happened.

"It's almost like they're a lizard cutting off their tail, hoping everyone will concentrate on the tail,” described Dryer.

In this case the whole lizard may be in play, "If their involvement played a role in the death of Jennifer Strange we will find them, and we will get them, and they will pay,” Dryer said.



(© MMVII, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)

[Jimcs50]

You can not legislate against people being assholes. These DJs are assholes and dumbasses and should be fired, but they had no authority over their listeners and the listeners have to make their own decisions based on common sense.

Just more and more frivolous lawsuits....they are all too common and IMO need to be eliminated.

[baseline bum]

You can not legislate against people being assholes. These DJs are assholes and dumbasses and should be fired, but they had no authority over their listeners and the listeners have to make their own decisions based on common sense.

Just more and more frivolous lawsuits....they are all too common and IMO need to be eliminated.

How many people knew you could die from drinking water? I'm a pretty educated guy, and I had no idea. It's not like the radio station was having people play chicken in traffic or something that is obviously dangerous. The station deserves to be sued into bankruptcy. They approved the contest, and they allowed this to happen.

[Trainwreck2100]

I heard some of the audio from this, people were throwing up, and they still didn't get this was bad

[Fillmoe]

Seriously, you have to be held accountable for your own actions sometimes.

It was not like an MD told the patient to drink water and not pee for 2 days. I mean who is ever accountable for their own stupidity and actions nowadays?

Just this morning I read that some parents started litigation towards My Space because their 14 yr old daughter was raped by a 25 yr old guy she met from the site.


wheres that from my space to my place t shirt pic when you need it

[Jimcs50]

How many people knew you could die from drinking water? I'm a pretty educated guy, and I had no idea. It's not like the radio station was having people play chicken in traffic or something that is obviously dangerous. The station deserves to be sued into bankruptcy. They approved the contest, and they allowed this to happen.


well, then you're an idiot.

This has been in the news for the last 20 yrs one and off, where college hazing has led to deaths from this very thing.

The woman was under no duress and was not prompted to do it, she did it of her own volition.

[tlongII]

I'm an idiot too as I didn't know you could die from drinking water either.

[Jimcs50]

I'm an idiot too.



sig material

[David Bowie]

I've heard about people drinking too much water and dying as well at fraternety initiations.

In Russia, there's also a drinking contest. But it's where pople drink VODKA and not water. The last "winner" of that contest ended up dead and 5 people ended up in the hospital.

[boutons_]

There have been several incidents in the last couple years where marathoner runners OD'd on water.

==================

October 20, 2005


Marathoners Warned About Too Much Water

By

<http://query.nytimes.com/search/query?ppds=bylL&v1=GINA%20KOLATA&fdq=19960101&td=sysdate&sort=newest&ac=GINA%20KOLATA&inline=nyt-per>

GINA KOLATA

Dr. Lewis G. Maharam, the medical director for the New York City Marathon and marathons in San Diego, Phoenix, Nashville and Virginia Beach, said he was taking every opportunity this year to educate runners about the biggest threat to their lives on race day - drinking too much water.

He knows the danger: in their zeal to avoid becoming dehydrated, runners may end up drinking so much that they dilute their blood. Water rushes into cells, including cells of the brain. The swollen brain cells press against the skull, and the result can be fatal. The resulting condition is known as hyponatremia - too much water.

"There are no reported cases of dehydration causing death in the history of world running," Maharam said. "But there are plenty of cases of people dying of hyponatremia."

No one knows how many have died, said Dr. Arthur Siegel, the chief of internal medicine at McLean Hospital in Belmont, Mass., and the designated hyponatremia team leader for recent Boston Marathons. But he said that perhaps a dozen hyponatremia deaths had been recognized, according to informal communications among doctors at recent marathons.

So this year, for the first time, the participant handbook for runners in the Nov. 6 New York City Marathon tells them how much to drink - no more than eight ounces of water every 20 minutes.

Maharam also makes sure the message is delivered via television shows that feature news about the marathon. He makes an announcement at the start of the marathon about how much to drink. And there will be a flier in the goody bags telling each runner, once again, of the dangers of drinking too much.

Even though Gatorade is one of the sponsors and the race features Gatorade's new sports drink, Gatorade Endurance Formula, Maharam said that sports drinks were no better than water. Eight ounces of fluid every 20 minutes is plenty.

But it is a message that is not always heard. Last year, one percent of the more than 35,000 New York City marathoners were hospitalized with hyponatremia, Maharam said, and although that is a smaller toll than in other cities' marathons, doctors say every one of those life-threatening medical emergencies could have been avoided.

To make matters worse, medical treatments for hyponatremia are often disastrous. Some doctors mistakenly think the runner is dehydrated and give intravenous fluids.

The extent of the problem may go far beyond the number of runners who have been hospitalized for it. A recent study of runners in the 2002 Boston Marathon found that 13 percent who finished the race had hyponatremia. And those were runners who thought they were fine and were just participating in a study. If such a runner continued to drink after the marathon, perhaps thinking that feelings of nausea and malaise were due to dehydration, the runner could end up with seizures or slip into a coma, doctors say.

That is what happened to Mark Robinson, a 27-year-old computer programmer from West Roxbury, Mass., who sees his story as a cautionary tale.

The day of the 2004 Boston Marathon dawned unusually hot. The race was on April 19, but the temperature was projected to reach nearly 90 degrees. Robinson was concerned. It was his first marathon, he had been training for six months, and he wanted to run it in four hours or less. "I sweat a lot," he said. With weather like that, he worried he might become dehydrated. So he tried to make sure he drank enough.

"I drank more than a gallon of water before the race, and then at every rest stop I would stop and have a couple of drinks of water," he said. He was on pace until Mile 19 when, suddenly, he felt nauseous and his legs began to cramp. He forced himself to continue, but by Mile 23 he could no longer run. "I tried to power-walk it in," Robinson said.

His parents met him at the finish line, bringing water. He drank two quarts, but he felt worse than ever. Not only was he vomiting and having diarrhea, Robinson said, but "I felt spacey, out of it, almost like I was on drugs."

His parents got a wheelchair and took him to the medical tent, where the person doing triage at the entrance asked if he could stand on his own. He could. He said he was told, "We have people here who are lying down," and was sent away. His parents helped him walk to the subway and took him to their home in Wayland, Mass. All the while, Robinson was drinking water and drinking Gatorade and vomiting.

Robinson said: "I felt completely mentally out of it. It was a strange sensation. Deep down, I knew something really, really wasn't right. It was like a feeling of impending doom. My father wanted me to take a bath, but I didn't want to be alone. I looked at my dad and he was talking and his mouth was kind of going," but, Robinson said, he could no longer hear what his father was saying.

Suddenly, Robinson screamed, leaped into the air, and fell down on his shoulder, breaking it. He lay on the floor, unconscious and no longer breathing.

His mother called 911 and a helicopter arrived. On the flight to Boston Medical Center, Robinson received intravenous fluids; the medical team thought he was dehydrated.

He ended up in a coma, on life support, and woke up four days later. His problem? Hyponatremia - poisoned by drinking too much water.

Robinson still runs, but much shorter distances. "I'll never run a long race again," he said. And forget marathons, he added. "My wife would never give me permission," he said.

Dr. Paul Thompson, a cardiologist, a marathon runner and a director of the Athletes' Heart program at Hartford Hospital, said: "Everyone's been told to drink water, drink water, drink water. Water companies want you to drink water like a fish. Then you dilute your blood and your brain starts to swell. You have healthy people running marathons and dying. Has the word gotten out? No."

Even now, more than a year later, Robinson says he is still shaken from his near-death experience after the Boston Marathon. "You would never, ever think that water could kill you," he said.