Woman kills herself holding her wee for a wii

Originally Posted by Devoxycontin

This title is kind of misleading since I don't think she realized the consequences of her actions.

And how many people think it's a good idea to refrain going to the bathroom to take a leak?


Anyway, is it confirmed yet that there's a link between the contest and her death? If so, the radio station should feel really fucking guilty for letting something like this happen. It's about as moronic as those japanese endurance contests they put people through for prizes.

Like, instead of giving someone a challenge to show their abilities (like high scoring in a game to win a game, or something sensible like this) they turn around and do shit like this. And people are dumb enough to follow through.

I didn't know Wii consoles were so popular over there. It's funny because for about two weeks since it's release in NZ, there wasn't that much interest. I casually walked in and purchased one. Then christmas hit, and ever since they've been impossible to find. Aside from ebay.

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Originally Posted by ArrowHead

The tree of life is ever self-pruning.

The lady works in the medical field. She should have known of the dangers of electrolyte imbalance. Better her than someone she's responsible for. Goodby and good riddance. I hope your children inherited their intelligence from their father.

That said, I also hope all those involved in the planning of the contest get fired. They should also have known about the dangers of "water poisoning" (electrolyte imbalance brought on by drinking too much water).

She probably only had general knowledge about radiology... I doubt she was one of the physicians there.

From what I read, the radio station made it seem easy initially and made it more dangerous later. At this point, people will try to stretch the limits of their bodies, especially if they aren't aware of the potentially fatal result.

I really hope the radio station does as much it can to right the situation. Stupidity aside, a liability waiver shouldn't nullify encouraging suicide.

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

Who wants to bet this'll show up in this year's Darwin awards?

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Originally Posted by ArrowHead

The lady works in the medical field. She should have known of the dangers of electrolyte imbalance. Better her than someone she's responsible for. Goodby and good riddance. I hope your children inherited their intelligence from their father.

I see you're up to your old tricks, Arrowhead.

"Specialized doctors are suppose to know everything about every field of medicine!" is pretty goddamned dumb. No one is Doctor Quest and it's an unusual circumstance - I'm sure if the radio station knew of water poisoning, they wouldn't have done this contest.

I was speaking idiomatically.

Originally Posted by OP

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.

The radio station handed out PAPERS TO SIGN (AND READ) telling the participants about the dangers of this competition.

I guess none of them read the instructions before signing. It's their own fault.

What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?

I hope her kids never run across GFF. A comment like Arrowhead's is just... well, there isn't a word strong enough for it. Yeah, so she should've known. Or maybe she shouldn't have. Either way, she's a mother, and her kids lost her... go hate on someone who deserves it, Arrowhead.

FELIPE NO

This is just plain horrible. It was a contest for a goddamn Wii, not a million dollars. Even so, a contest that involves people putting their health/lives at risk should NOT even take place.

Nonetheless, how long did she hold it for? The artcile says she was in terrible pain that Friday afternoon. The contest started at 6:15am! So she didn't pee for what? 6+ hours? If so, then my god thats impossible in my view.

Anyway, like you guys have agreed or disagreed on, it's her fault she died. I mean WTF? She too cheap to just buy a Wii when there's more on the market? Or is she THAT impatient because her stupid little rugrats are bugging her every hour for a Wii...

Moral of the story - don't do anything that fucking crazy! I would have tapped out the moment I had to burst.

Edit: Title plz

What, you don't want my bikini-clad body?

Originally Posted by Kishin

The radio station handed out PAPERS TO SIGN (AND READ) telling the participants about the dangers of this competition.

I guess none of them read the instructions before signing. It's their own fault.

The radio station handing out a generic liability waiver is not the same as them handing out a paper that specifically tells you what the dangers could be.

The station employees were shocked that it could happen. Does this sound like a station that did any research whatsoever as to the dangers involved?

It's just my opinion, but I'm thinking they simply thought they'd have people drink until they couldn't hold it anymore, believing that the worst that could happen is someone pees their pants in the studio.

How ya doing, buddy?

Originally Posted by BigHairyFeet

I don't know about his views, but commenting on a woman's stupidity (this particular woman) doesn't strike me as an example of misogyny.

While in and of it's self is only slightly sexist - he has a bad habit of being outright sexist in the past. So this is him just being him - which is not good, he got banned for it not too long ago.

Originally Posted by Midna

The radio station handing out a generic liability waiver is not the same as them handing out a paper that specifically tells you what the dangers could be.

I somehow think that any contest possibly resulting in death wouldn't be done. Not to mention, just because you sign a waver, doesn't make it of legal implications.

There's nowhere I can't reach.

Originally Posted by Conan-the-3rd

Who wants to bet this'll show up in this year's Darwin awards?

Do honestly find something funny about this? While most Darwin awards involve at least a little humor, I find this to be nothing but tragic, whether or not you think she was stupid.

And Arrowhead, I sincerely hope you win your own Darwin award someday.

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

Originally Posted by LeHah

I somehow think that any contest possibly resulting in death wouldn't be done. Not to mention, just because you sign a waver, doesn't make it of legal implications.

I agree. Kishin had said the people who were in the contest were at fault because they didn't read the waiver that he seems to believe gave some useful information, and I was pointing out to him that he's wrong.

How ya doing, buddy?

What part of the fact that forced water intake is disallowed by name in most fraternity risk management policies and the fact that people have died in the last few years of overhydration didn't rub off on this radio station? The activities planners probably did this on an impulse brainstorm and did not consider the risks heavily enough.

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Originally Posted by StarmanDX

Do honestly find something funny about this? While most Darwin awards involve at least a little humor, I find this to be nothing but tragic, whether or not you think she was stupid.

I concede the point, I was under the impresson that the Darwins were awarded on grounds of adject stupidity rather than comedy.

How ya doing, buddy?

Originally Posted by Andrew

What part of the fact that forced water intake is disallowed by name in most fraternity risk management policies and the fact that people have died in the last few years of overhydration didn't rub off on this radio station?

Probably because water poisoning has been around since the advent of, say, man and water and most people still don't know about it.

FELIPE NO

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.

What, you don't want my bikini-clad body?

Originally Posted by ArrowHead

It's half the reason why there are salts in sports drinks like gatorade - to supply you with electrolytes that you are losing through sweat. Mind you, they look at it more from a performance angle, but still....

Yeah and people never bitch about Gatorade either, right? Very little people know about excess water consumption or the problems it can cause. In fact, people boast about water being something we should consume constantly (8 glass rule, something which ironically nobody does either) as it being a healthy dietary alternative to soda, juice, milk, etc. Even though milk is still somewhat healthy.

Just because you know about it doesn't mean everyone else is a fool for not.

But how many times are you actually told about water intoxication, unless something like this happens? It takes a death for us to be reminded about something that we'll forget in what, 2 months or so.

Much like the mental image of a loved one, it fades without constant reminder. We aren't reminded of water intoxication because it rarely happens. It isn't common knowledge whatsoever, mostly because of this reason. Although I do recall an athlete running a race and couldn't finish the last 5 meters because his body was crippled by an overload of water, this is the only other time I've heard of an incident like this in 20 years.

Jam it back in, in the dark.

I just heard about this (on the radio) a couple days ago. Personally, I had heard of water intoxication, but it's one of those kind of things you keep in the back of your mind and don't really think about a whole lot you know? I mean come on, poisoning yourself with water? Doesn't seem too likely. To be perfectly honest, I probably would've entered this contest, had I lived anywhere near where it took place. But you bet your ass I would've read the waiver, too.

Originally Posted by Tomahawk

Even so, a contest that involves people putting their health/lives at risk should NOT even take place.

By your logic, professional sports should be banned.

There's nowhere I can't reach.

I suppose I should say in this thread that I split out all the off-topic posts. That way we don't get anyone confused and creating journal entries berating me for things I didn't do. =D

My bad for not saying anything here, honestly.

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

I just saw a story about this on Inside Edition, and they talked to the woman who won the Wii, meaning that Jennifer Strange didn't even win after all that(she came in second). She said that Strange had started looking sick before the contest was even over, and even had her belly protruding to the point that she looked pregnant.

I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?

Which makes me hard to believe that if you feel sick and you are doing it for someone, then don't put yourself at risk. If it's your children, then Say you are sorry and try to win another (safer) contest or do as I did and get one at Best Buy. YOu know if you time it right on the shipments, you can be there first for a new console easily. Hell I got mine two days after Xmas.

I was speaking idiomatically.

Well, it just goes to show you that radio contests aren't worth the risk. I guess the Wii is really that popular. This is the first time where I have read about water intoxication where someone ended up dying.

How ya doing, buddy?

The entire morning show staff for that radio channel got fired because of this incident. They knew of the results and they had people sign waiver forms saying that it's not their responsibilities. They deserve to be fired, probably even jail time.

FELIPE NO

Emphasis added:

Originally Posted by CNN

SACRAMENTO, California (AP) -- As participants in a California radio station's water-drinking contest chugged bottle after bottle, a listener called in to warn the disc jockeys that the stunt could be fatal.

"Yeah, we're aware of that," one of them responded.

Another DJ said with a laugh: "Yeah, they signed releases, so we're not responsible. We're OK."

Those comments, and others made during the Jan. 12 "Morning Rave" radio show on KDND-FM, appeared to give little regard to the risk of water intoxication. But just hours after the contest, a woman who guzzled nearly two gallons was dead.

On Wednesday, the Sacramento County Sheriff's Department launched a criminal investigation into the incident, and attorneys for the family of Jennifer Lea Strange said they plan to file a wrongful death lawsuit against the radio station.

The county coroner said preliminary autopsy findings indicate Strange, a 28-year-old mother of three, died of water intoxication.

Authorities decided to pursue the investigation after listening to a tape of the show, obtained by The Sacramento Bee, during which DJs joked about the possible dangers of consuming too much water, sheriff's spokesman Sgt. Tim Curran said. At one point, the DJs even alluded to a college student who died during a similar stunt in 2005.

Strange was one of about 18 contestants who tried to win a Nintendo Wii gaming console by determining how much water they could drink without going to the bathroom.

Several hours into the contest, Strange was interviewed on the air and complained that her head hurt.

"They keep telling me that it's the water. That it will tell my head to hurt and then it will make me puke," she said.

Eventually, Strange gave in and accepted the second-place prize: tickets to a Justin Timberlake concert. She commented that she looked pregnant, and a female DJ agreed.

"Oh, my gosh, look at that belly. That's full of water. ... Come on over, Jennifer, you OK?" a male DJ asked. "You going to pass out right now? Too much water?"

Several hours later, Strange was found dead in her home.

On Tuesday, KDND's parent company, Entercom/Sacramento, fired 10 employees connected to the contest, including three morning disc jockeys. The company also took the morning show off the air.

Station spokesman Charles Sipkins said Wednesday the company had not yet heard from the sheriff's department but that it would cooperate with the investigation.

So it's a criminal investigation now. I guess there isn't much to say in their defense

What, you don't want my bikini-clad body?

Well.... I guess they're in a shitload of trouble. These guys responsible for the contest are going to be charged with something, right?

Jam it back in, in the dark.

Originally Posted by Lizardcommando

Well.... I guess they're in a shitload of trouble. These guys responsible for the contest are going to be charged with something, right?

Quote:

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'm guessing the waiver probably relieved them of all responsability...

But yeah, geez, I wonder how the kids feel...

There's nowhere I can't reach.