Water Intoxication...Sad Story

[JimmyWint]

hxxp://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070117/ap_on_re_us/brf_water_intoxication

Poor Lady was trying to Win a Nintendo Wii for her kids and she dies of Water Intoxication. I never would have thought you could die from drinking too much water.

[KevinNU7]

That is one strict radio station

[Ksyrup]

I looked into this a couple of months ago when my wife was concerned with how much water I was drinking while on my diet and whether I could damage my kidneys. What I learned is that the kidneys can process somewhere in excess of 15 gallons of water a day, but the key is to not drink too much at once - which is apparently what happened with this lady. Doing it like I have been - a couple of glasses an hour all day - isn't normally an issue.

[Lathum]

I wonder if it happened on air?

[Lathum]

from wiki

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_intoxication

[dawgfan]

Sad, but also educational. Here's the Wikipedia entry on Water Intoxication: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_intoxication

Note that the case noted in the news story in the original post has already been added to the Wikipedia article...

[dawgfan]

Originally Posted by KevinNU7

That is one strict radio station

Seriously? I can't say with certainty if all 10 of the people fired should've been, but some people definitely deserved to be fired for that contest. It's extremely stupid to create a contest involving some abnormal activity without first consulting with appropriate experts to determine the potential risks involved.

You can bet that, even with the firings, that radio station and Entercom will be named as defendants in the inevitable wrongful death suit.

[Lathum]

I would imagine there was some sort of waver that had to be signed.

[dawgfan]

Originally Posted by Lathum

I would imagine there was some sort of waver that had to be signed.

It probably won't hold up in court if it can be shown that the station didn't do their homework ahead of time on the potential medical risks of the contest.

[Lathum]

/true, I am wondering if so many staff members were canned because no one called for help until it was to late?

[Subby]

I am pretty sure I was borderline water-intoxicated when I ran the marine corps marathon a few years ago. I was drinking water at every mile marker instead of downing sports drinks and I was big-time disoriented after I finished. Somehow I made it to the medical tent and they sat me down - I kept either falling asleep or passing out (still not sure which) and I didn't feel better until they gave me pretzels and told me to lick the salt off of them...it was really weird.

[Ksyrup]

Originally Posted by dawgfan

It probably won't hold up in court if it can be shown that the station didn't do their homework ahead of time on the potential medical risks of the contest.

Yeah, that defense isn't going to float.

OK, I'm going to hell for that one.

[Fidatelo]

My brother and I had a water drinking contest several years ago to pass the time at work (we'd e-mail back and forth each time we finished a bottle of water). I think I drank about 6 litres and him 7, probably over the span of about 5 hours. I don't know if that intake would risk intoxication, but I do know that several times I wanted to throw up as I was polishing off another bottle.

[dawgfan]

Originally Posted by Ksyrup

Yeah, that defense isn't going to float.

OK, I'm going to hell for that one.

I was tempted to say "that argument won't hold water", but I resisted.

[rkmsuf]

Uh, what happened to the Wii? Did the lady that died win? Did the second place, living contestant win by default and if so did she take the Wii home? What's the ettiquette here?

[larrymcg421]

I believe the lady finished 2nd and did not win the Wii.

[rkmsuf]

Originally Posted by larrymcg421

I believe the lady finished 2nd and did not win the Wii.

double turds

[FBPro]

I saw a report of this the other day, sad for sure.

[Mateo]

That sucks. Guess I won't enter that "Pee-S3" contest down at Best Buy later today.

[stevew]

I can't believe this one hadn't been posted on FOFC yet. It's on like every other board I visit. And I can't imagine that their waiver will hold up either.

[MylesKnight]

Anyone watch Real Sports on HBO? They had a segment about a H2O Intoxication a couple of years back.. Scary stuff.

[Subby]

Originally Posted by Mateo

That sucks. Guess I won't enter that "Pee-S3" contest down at Best Buy later today.

I like you.

[Mustang]

I was surprised this many people don't know about water intoxification..

Having said that, since it was on the radio, I'm surprised no one in their listening audience didn't know and called to say 'This isn't a good idea'...

[duckman]

Originally Posted by Mustang

I was surprised this many people don't know about water intoxification..

Having said that, since it was on the radio, I'm surprised no one in their listening audience didn't know and called to say 'This isn't a good idea'...

There was actually a nurse who called in to warn about possible water intoxification. The DJ's just made jokes about it and said that the contestants signed a waiver so they weren't concerned.

[dawgfan]

Originally Posted by duckman

There was actually a nurse who called in to warn about possible water intoxification. The DJ's just made jokes about it and said that the contestants signed a waiver so they weren't concerned.

Really? Jesus, what idiots - not only do they deserve to be fired, they deserve the lawsuits coming their way...

[st.cronin]

They deserve worse than lawsuits.

[Mustang]

Originally Posted by duckman

There was actually a nurse who called in to warn about possible water intoxification. The DJ's just made jokes about it and said that the contestants signed a waiver so they weren't concerned.

Then they really are idiots.

[dawgfan]

Originally Posted by st.cronin

They deserve worse than lawsuits.

Yeah, they may be subject to criminal prosecution.

[Vinatieri for Prez]

Yep, and waivers don't help you at all there.

[dawgfan]

Originally Posted by Sacramento Bee

Sacramento Sheriff John McGinness, alarmed by audio recordings obtained by The Bee of the radio show contest that may have led to the death of 28-year-old Jennifer Lea Strange, has directed homicide detectives to look into whether a crime was committed during the water-drinking contest sponsored by the "Morning Rave" show on The End radio station (KDND, 107.9).

McGinness has said previously that he did not believe a criminal case is warranted because Strange took part in the contest of her own free will. However, after The Bee obtained a recording of the four-hour, 40-minute radio show that showed radio hosts discussing the possible dangers of the contest on air the sheriff said he believes a closer look is warranted and that his detectives will investigate. McGinness said there is the potential for a manslaughter charge if investigators find radio hosts did not render aid to Strange. McGinnis said he is meeting with District Attorney Jan Scully's office, also.

McGinness, who expressed his condolences to Strange's husband and three children, said detectives would meet Scully's office today and review the coroner's findings into Strange's death after she drank nearly two gallons of water as part of a contest to win a video game system.

Strange placed second among 20 contestants. Following her death, the radio station cancelled the show and fired 10 people, including all five on-air personalities.

http://www.sacbee.com/101/story/109231.html

[Anthony]

Originally Posted by Mateo

That sucks. Guess I won't enter that "Pee-S3" contest down at Best Buy later today.

this is the appropriate reply. lock this thread down now.

[BishopMVP]

Originally Posted by Subby

I am pretty sure I was borderline water-intoxicated when I ran the marine corps marathon a few years ago. I was drinking water at every mile marker instead of downing sports drinks and I was big-time disoriented after I finished. Somehow I made it to the medical tent and they sat me down - I kept either falling asleep or passing out (still not sure which) and I didn't feel better until they gave me pretzels and told me to lick the salt off of them...it was really weird.

Maybe a biologist or doctor knows better (or I could not be lazy and look it up) but I seem to recall that your body needs a certain amount of salt to either keep water from passing through you or to allow it to sweat out excess water.

[NoMyths]

If you're looking for pretty much a textbook case of depraved indifference to human life, just listen to some of the audio from the contest that morning.

Having heard it, I'm hoping that criminal penalties are in store for most of the folks involved.

[Synovia]

Originally Posted by dawgfan

Really? Jesus, what idiots - not only do they deserve to be fired, they deserve the lawsuits coming their way...

Why? The people signed a waiver and were aware of the risks. If you feel sick, stop drinking it.

She died. Its tragic, and it sucks. But its her fault, and not theirs. This is like that woman spilling her hot coffee on herself and suing. Litigation like this leads to frivolous lawsuits. This sort of stuff is why we have labels on toasters that say you shouldnt put them in bathtubs, and labels on plastic bags that you shouldnt give them to babies. Take responsibility for your actions rather than suing someone.



this is common sense people... anything in excess can kill you.

[dawgfan]

Originally Posted by Synovia

Why? The people signed a waiver and were aware of the risks. If you feel sick, stop drinking it.

She died. Its tragic, and it sucks. But its her fault, and not theirs. This is like that woman spilling her hot coffee on herself and suing. Litigation like this leads to frivolous lawsuits.



this is common sense people... anything in excess can kill you.

Bullshit. I'd wager most people are unaware that water in excess is potentially fatal. And from the description of how water intoxication works, it sounds like the symptoms are likely to appear after a person has already over consumed - i.e., similar to alcohol intoxication, by the time you feel the really bad symptoms, it's too late.

Anyone organizing a contest where people are engaging in some kind of unusual behavior have an obligation to do some research to determine what risks are involved with said behavior. When you're talking about an activity that most people have no idea is dangerous, there's an additional obligation to make them aware of what the risks are. I've yet to see a report that indicated the contestants were made aware of the possible risks. Add in the fact that someone with medical knowledge called the show to inform them that their contest posed a real medical risk to the participants and all they did was laugh it off, and you have morally indefensible behavior.

Besides, you think if they'd had a Russian Roulette contest that they'd be absolved just because the contestants signed a waiver?

These people that ran the contest fucked-up in a big way, and they should (and probably will) suffer for their mistake.

[NoMyths]

Originally Posted by Synovia

Why? The people signed a waiver and were aware of the risks. If you feel sick, stop drinking it.

She died. Its tragic, and it sucks. But its her fault, and not theirs. This is like that woman spilling her hot coffee on herself and suing. Litigation like this leads to frivolous lawsuits. This sort of stuff is why we have labels on toasters that say you shouldnt put them in bathtubs, and labels on plastic bags that you shouldnt give them to babies. Take responsibility for your actions rather than suing someone.

this is common sense people... anything in excess can kill you.

Litigation like what?

And since anything in excess can kill you, would you please tell me the exact line for how much water I should drink every day? My sense is that around 64 ounces or so sounds reasonable, and since I know that drinking too little water is bad for you, I suppose maybe I should consider even drinking more, right? Maybe 120 ounces?

I'm a reasonably educated guy, and there are plenty of things that I have to do and enjoy doing for which the line between "safe" and "way, way too much" isn't common knowledge.

[molson]

Originally Posted by dawgfan

These people that ran the contest fucked-up in a big way, and they should (and probably will) suffer for their mistake.

I think the DJs were probably equally as clueless as the victim in terms of the how dangerous this was. Unless they were also part of station management, presumably the "bit" had to be approved by someone. As horrific as the DJs comments were, they were just morons - I think there's a higher up more guilty party.

And what about Nintendo? The radio station giveaways usually aren't products that stations purchase themselves - they're usually given to stations as a form of advertising. Did someone from Nintendo consent to this?

There will be an enormous wrongful death settlement in this case, because there isn't any doubt about the jury trial verdict, and damages a jury would come up would probably be insane.

[Rizon]

There is quite a bit of stupidity involved in this situation, on both sides.

[molson]

Originally Posted by Subby

I am pretty sure I was borderline water-intoxicated when I ran the marine corps marathon a few years ago. I was drinking water at every mile marker instead of downing sports drinks and I was big-time disoriented after I finished. Somehow I made it to the medical tent and they sat me down - I kept either falling asleep or passing out (still not sure which) and I didn't feel better until they gave me pretzels and told me to lick the salt off of them...it was really weird.

It's a huge issue for marathon runners - that's why they typically drink substances besides water (the marine corp should have known that). There's been at least 1 Boston marathon water intoxication death over the last few years.

[dawgfan]

Originally Posted by molson

I think the DJs were probably equally as clueless as the victim in terms of the how dangerous this was. Unless they were also part of station management, presumably the "bit" had to be approved by someone. As horrific as the DJs comments were, they were just morons - I think there's a higher up more guilty party.

Whoever thought up the nature of the contest, and whoever was that person (or persons) manager(s) are the most culpable IMO. Even if the DJ's weren't part of the crew that thought up the contest, they were obviously involved in running the contest, and their apparent lack of concern over the info provided by the nurse that called in is alarming. How much trouble would it have been for one of them to look up "water intoxication" on Wikipedia when she called and warned them about it?

And what about Nintendo? The radio station giveaways usually aren't products that stations purchase themselves - they're usually given to stations as a form of advertising. Did someone from Nintendo consent to this?

Assuming that Nintendo did indeed provide the Wii as advertising directly to the station (and not the station acquiring one from a retailer rather than direct from Nintendo) I think it's similar to the contestants - I think there's a reasonable assumption of competence in play here. I think it can be reasonably assumed by Nintendo that anyone creating a contest to give away their product isn't going to create one that puts the contestants in serious physical risk. Unless it can be shown that Nintendo signed off on the details of this contest, i.e. what the contest involved, I think they won't be held liable.

There will be an enormous wrongful death settlement in this case, because there isn't any doubt about the jury trial verdict, and damages a jury would come up would probably be insane.

Yep. I suspect Entercom and this particular station will be the hardest hit by such a suit.

[dawgfan]

Originally Posted by Rizon

There is quite a bit of stupidity involved in this situation, on both sides.

I think you overestimate the common knowledge of the danger of drinking too much water too quickly.

[st.cronin]

I had never heard of water intoxication until this thread. Or rather, I had heard about it, but I thought it was a joke.

[Rizon]

Originally Posted by dawgfan

I think you overestimate the common knowledge of the danger of drinking too much water too quickly.

I overestimate people too much

[Logan]

Originally Posted by molson

And what about Nintendo? The radio station giveaways usually aren't products that stations purchase themselves - they're usually given to stations as a form of advertising. Did someone from Nintendo consent to this?

I'm sure it's not the same for every radio station, and those with more knowledge of the field can certainly give a more accurate answer, but my understanding is that a company will provide products for promotional giveaways; however, it's only in a general sense, i.e. Nintendo tells the station that they'll provide 10 systems over the next quarter. How the station chooses to go about giving them away is up to them.

[Marathoner]

Originally Posted by molson

It's a huge issue for marathon runners - that's why they typically drink substances besides water (the marine corp should have known that). There's been at least 1 Boston marathon water intoxication death over the last few years.

It certainly is a known hazard for any long distance runner. Basically you sweat, lowering your serum sodium. Drinking large amounts of water before replacing lost sodium will cause dilution of your serum sodium to the point where problems develop. Sodium should be replaced prior to rehydrating with straight water.

I do find it amazing that she could lower her sodium levels to that point only with overhydration and not with actually losing sodium. Maybe she had preexisting renal disease?

Anyway a very sad event.

[wade moore]

Originally Posted by Rizon

I overestimate people too much

I'm baffled as to why you think that "water intoxication" should be such public knowledge and that people are stupid if they don't know about it. This, to me, is something most people would have no knoweldge of - and really would have no reason to have the knowledge of.

I'm as surprised by this as if someone told me you could die from farting too many times in an hour.

[BYU 14]

Originally Posted by dawgfan

Bullshit. I'd wager most people are unaware that water in excess is potentially fatal. And from the description of how water intoxication works, it sounds like the symptoms are likely to appear after a person has already over consumed - i.e., similar to alcohol intoxication, by the time you feel the really bad symptoms, it's too late.

You would be surprised how little was ever disseminated about the dangers of this prior to the last 4-5 years. We had a Player suffer water intoxication once and luckily he was fine, but scarey none the less.....I had been to multiple first aid certifications and Sports Medicine classes prior to this and it had never even been mentioned, in fact it has only come up once since then, and that is because I brought it up. I think a big reason here in Arizona is that it is so hot when Football practice starts, most of the thinking revovles around heat related illness (as it should) and keeping the Athletes at an adequate level of hydration.

[molson]

Originally Posted by wade moore

I'm baffled as to why you think that "water intoxication" should be such public knowledge and that people are stupid if they don't know about it. This, to me, is something most people would have no knoweldge of - and really would have no reason to have the knowledge of.

I never heard of it until the hazing story broke about 3 years ago. Before that, I saw many a water drinking contest at summer camp and college - no one seemed to have any clue that this was a potentially dangerous activity.

Horrible stories like this certainly can raise awareness.

[dawgfan]

Originally Posted by Rizon

I overestimate people too much

Um, OK. Why exactly would most people know about the phenomenon of water intoxication?

Perhaps this incident will generate enough media buzz to get the general population aware of it, but I'd hazard a guess that more than half the people in this country (probably much more than that) are currently unaware of the concept of water intoxication, and probably less than 10% know that consuming too much water too quickly could have fatal consequences.

[duckman]

Originally Posted by dawgfan

Really? Jesus, what idiots - not only do they deserve to be fired, they deserve the lawsuits coming their way...

Fox News has a clip of the nurse telling them on the show. If you go to their website, you can find it under the FoxLife on their video. Just click on the Dennis Miller picture and you can find it. It's listed as 'Deadly Contest.'