Woman kills herself holding her wee for a wii

A local radio station in my area was holding a contest with a Wii as the prize. All you had to do was drink as much water as you can without going to the bathroom. Then this lady dies from water intoxication. Good one!

http://www.news10.net/display_story.aspx?storyid=23350

Quote:

Preliminary autopsy findings concluded a Rancho Cordova woman who competed in a radio station water-drinking contest before she was found dead Friday showed signs consistant with water intoxication, Sacramento County Coroner's Office authorities said Saturday.

The results of a preliminary investigation released Saturday showed evidence "consistent with a water intoxication death" in the death of 28-year-old Jennifer Strange, Sacramento County assistant coroner Ed Smith said.

Smith said the autopsy found no traces of "life threatening medical conditions" that would have otherwise explained Strange's sudden death.

Strange, 28, was found dead inside her Astral Drive home in Rancho Cordova Friday afternoon. Her death came just hours after Strange participated in a radio station KDND 107.9 The End contest, testing contestants to drank as much water as they could without going to the bathroom.

The winner of the "Hold Your Wee for a Wii" contest would take home a new Nintendo Wii video game system.

Strange's co-worker at Radiological Associates of Sacramento Laura Rios said Strange participated in the contest Friday morning, then was heading home when she reportedly called her supervisor 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," Rios said. "She was crying and that was the last that anyone had heard from her."

The supervisor called Strange's mother, who went to her daughter's home and discovered the body.

Sacramento County Sheriff's Sgt. Tim Curran confirmed Strange's death Friday, but said there were no immediate grounds to begin an investigation.

According to contest participants, 17 to 20 contestants took part in the competition in a room at KDND's Madison Avenue studios. The contest broadcast during The End's Morning Rave program began around 6:15 a.m. as contestants were each handed eight-ounce bottles of water to drink every 15 minutes.

Fellow contestant James Ybarra of Woodland said he met Strange at the event and had no idea of the potential danger of water poisoning. "They were small little half-pint bottle so we thought it was going to be easy," Ybarra said. "They told us if you don't feel like you can do this, don't put your health in risk."

But after 90 minutes of drinking, Ybarra decided he had had enough. "I tapped (out) after five (bottles)," Ybarra said. "My bladder couldn't handle it anymore."

Ybarra said after he quit, the remaining contestents were given even larger bottles to drink to stay in the competition. Strange was still in the contest when he opted out.

"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."

Ybarra said before the contest, he did not read a liability waiver form handed to him by station personnel before signing it. Ybarra said he was surprised by the physical toll he felt after the contest.

"I was kind of out of it yesterday. I was just drained. I was just going to the bathroom," Ybarra said. "I wasn't feeling well and I actually fell asleep. I woke up with a headache (Saturday) morning and then took a couple of aspirins."

Ybarra said he was unaware of any medical personnel on hand to monitor the contest.

In a brief written statement issued Saturday, Entercom Sacramento VP and market manager John Geary expressed sympathy for Strange's family.

"We were stunned when we heard the news," Geary said. "We are awaiting information that will help explain how this tragic event occurred."

"They should have had a physician there, some type of statement or as to this can kill you. You can die from this," Strange's friend and co-worker Tracy Beam said. "People have died from this before and here we are. We don't have our Jennifer."

"I believe everyone should just be fired and let go from that radio station," Beam said. "It should be the end of The End."

Jam it back in, in the dark.

Update on this story:
http://www.news10.net/display_story.aspx?storyid=23418

Quote:

Sacramento radio station KDND 107.9 "The End" has fired 10 employees including their popular morning DJ's after the death of a contestant Friday.

"Effective immediately the 'The Morning Rave' program is canceled and 10 employees are no longer with the station," read a statement from the station's general manager John Geary.

Geary would not say which 10 employees were fired. However, a source at the station told News10 the program director, promotions director and the three morning DJs are among those who have lost their jobs.

"We're going to pull through," a woman who works at the station said. "(The mood) is pretty somber around here. The whole thing is just a tragedy."

Jennifer Strange, 28, was found dead in her Rancho Cordova home Friday. A preliminary coroner's report indicated Strange's death was consistent with a water intoxication death.

Strange had taken part in a contest at 107.9 titled "Hold Your Wee for a Nintendo Wii." The contestants drank bottles of water at 15 minute intervals. The last person to go to the bathroom would win a Nintendo gaming system.

Judy Linder, a nurse practitioner, said she was listening to the contest on her way to work on Friday. "I know how dangerous that is so when I got to work I asked if anybody wanted to be on the radio."

Linder said she and another co-worker called the station on speaker phone and were put on the air.
"She (her co-worker) told them it was dangerous and you could die from water intoxication."

Linder says the disc jockey "pretty much blew that off and said well they've signed a release."

It wasn't until Sunday that Linder heard Strange had died. "I was totally shocked because they (the disc jockeys) had been warned but they should have known better anyway they should have checked with someone before they did that you know."

Linder says she wishes she could have done more to prevent Strange's death. "It's just a terrible, terrible thing. I feel terrible."

Strange's husband, William, did not want to comment about the firings but did say he has set up a fund to help with funeral expenses for his wife.

Donations to The Jennifer Strange Memorial Fund Account 3151089345 can be made at any Washington Mutual branch.

Former federal prosecutor Bill Portanova said Strange's family would likely have a solid case against the station. "On the face of it, the radio station has some serious liability exposure," said Portanova.

Portanova said the February 2005 death of a California State University, Chico student may be the station's undoing.

"Every newspaper outlet and radio outlet reported on it repeatedly where a young man at Chico State University drank himself to death with water so it's clear this radio station had some institutional knowledge that that was a possibility," said Portanova.

Portanova said if a lawsuit is filed, the station will likely settle quickly.

I'm not surprised by this at all.

There's nowhere I can't reach.