Dying for a WII

[WhiteCrow]

I should think this is terrible, but really I think it deserves the Darwin award ...

The good news is the station is likely to be sued so much her family may even be able to afford a PlayStation 3 (maybe).

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/6261509.stm

US woman dies after water contest

A Californian woman who took part in a water-drinking contest to win a video game system has died of water intoxication, tests have shown.

Jennifer Strange had taken part in the "Hold Your Wee for a Wii" game run by KDND 107.9 radio in Sacramento, which promised the winner a Nintendo Wii.

A work colleague said Ms Strange had reported her head was hurting hours after the contest and was going home.

Ms Strange, 28, was found dead on Friday at her house in Rancho Cordova.

Health warning

Local assistant coroner Ed Smith said initial tests showed death was "consistent with water intoxication".

Contestants were first given eight ounce (225 millilitre) bottles to drink every 15 minutes.

Contestant James Ybarra told Associated Press news agency: "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 five bottles but remaining contestants started on larger bottles.

"She was telling me about her family and her three kids and how she was doing it for her kids," Mr Ybarra said.

One of Ms Strange's work colleagues, Laura Rios, said: "She said to one of our supervisors that she was on her way home and her head was hurting her real bad.

"She was crying and that was the last that anyone had heard from her."

The station said its staff were stunned at the death.

[Larry]

I find it unbelievable that this radio station could be so utterly and recklessly irresponsible any one with half a brain cell knows the health risks in drinking to much and not going to the toilet. For a start if you don't pass water with a bloated stomach from drinking to much water you are in serious risk of damaging your kidney's and how no body at the station were aware of this is as i said unbelievable..

[WhiteCrow]

I find it unbelievable that this radio station could be so utterly and recklessly irresponsible any one with half a brain cell knows the health risks in drinking to much and not going to the toilet. For a start if you don't pass water with a bloated stomach from drinking to much water you are in serious risk of damaging your kidney's and how no body at the station were aware of this is as i said unbelievable..

You've just proven to me the kind of jerks who must work in radio.

[Phillip Culley]

Well, it seems that there have been some repercussions - 10 people at the radio station have been fired thanks to this and the show pulled.

Although I'm not sure about the woman being stupid claims - the woman died from water intoxication, some to be honest how many people really think that too much water will kill you? We've been told all our lives that you should drink lots of water to stay healthy, so this whole thing goes against what we've been bought up with.

As far as this woman is concerned, surely it's a reasonable expectation for the contest to be safe since the radio station endorsed it - after all if they're doing this then you would expect it to be safe, or to have somebody on hand should something go wrong. The radio station should have been a lot more responsible, and they deserve everything they get for it - even down to hopefully criminal charges being filed for manslaughter. Surely someone at their end should have checked everything was safe before doing it, especially if there's the chance of something going wrong?

[WhiteCrow]

Well, it seems that there have been some repercussions - 10 people at the radio station have been fired thanks to this and the show pulled.

This smacks of the station taking action so they won't get sued!

Everything else you say is true - no excuse for what they did, ignorance is no defence. They should have done even a minimal check on this. Surely they had to fill out a Health and Safety form to say this was going to be okay.

But no, they just came up with a silly idea, and killed someone in the process.

I don't think it's helped this was in America, and sometimes I feel over there the need to be a winner can override common sense...

[Jason Thompson]

Although I'm not sure about the woman being stupid claims - the woman died from water intoxication, some to be honest how many people really think that too much water will kill you? We've been told all our lives that you should drink lots of water to stay healthy, so this whole thing goes against what we've been bought up with.

As far as this woman is concerned, surely it's a reasonable expectation for the contest to be safe since the radio station endorsed it

Hang on though. On the one hand you're defending this woman's ignorance, and on the other condemning the radio station crew for the same ignorance. Now I agree that the radio crew should have made sure what they were doing was safe, but the woman was not forced to participate, and her critical thinking should have extended beyond assuming it was safe because they didn't say otherwise.

This was a stupid stunt all round, for the particpants and the radio station. Too much water is as lethal as not enough, because it totally screws up your salt balance as well as causing physical swelling of blood vessels and organs. this idea does not go against what anyone has been brought up with, it goes against the unjustified assumption that because we are advised to drink water you can't get too much of it.

However, as the ones in the position of responsibility for organising it, the radio station should suffer the consequences, and there should be manslaughter charges brought.

[WhiteCrow]

Hang on though. On the one hand you're defending this woman's ignorance, and on the other condemning the radio station crew for the same ignorance. Now I agree that the radio crew should have made sure what they were doing was safe, but the woman was not forced to participate, and her critical thinking should have extended beyond assuming it was safe because they didn't say otherwise.

Dunno - people run a competition like this and you assume they're not going to put you in any serious danger. Add some peer pressure, a desire to win, and blanket trust that the people running it know what they're doing ...

[Larry]

Well, it seems that there have been some repercussions - 10 people at the radio station have been fired thanks to this and the show pulled.

Although I'm not sure about the woman being stupid claims - the woman died from water intoxication, some to be honest how many people really think that too much water will kill you? We've been told all our lives that you should drink lots of water to stay healthy, so this whole thing goes against what we've been bought up with.

As far as this woman is concerned, surely it's a reasonable expectation for the contest to be safe since the radio station endorsed it - after all if they're doing this then you would expect it to be safe, or to have somebody on hand should something go wrong. The radio station should have been a lot more responsible, and they deserve everything they get for it - even down to hopefully criminal charges being filed for manslaughter. Surely someone at their end should have checked everything was safe before doing it, especially if there's the chance of something going wrong?

it's not the amount of water that you drink it's being able to pass water that is the real important issue yes you can drink a lot of water but as long as you regularly go to the toilet there should not be a problem.

but i'm just thank full that here in th UK, we have stricter laws and regulations that would not allow any radio or tv station to do any kind of compotition that puts a persons health or life at risk.

[Jason Thompson]

you can drink a lot of water but as long as you regularly go to the toilet there should not be a problem.

But there will be, because you can fill yourself up with water faster than your kidneys can get rid of it. Even without having a 'hold-it' contest, there is a good chance of death by excessive consumption of water.

[Jeff]

and how no body at the station were aware of this is as i said unbelievable..

The radio station should have been a lot more responsible, and they deserve everything they get for it - even down to hopefully criminal charges being filed for manslaughter. Surely someone at their end should have checked everything was safe before doing it, especially if there's the chance of something going wrong?

I saw more of this on the news last night, and the sad thing is the DJ's DID know how dangerous it was. They showed a clip of the DJ's answering a phone call from an alarmed local nurse who then warned them of the lethal possibilities. The DJ's laughed and told her it was all right because they made all of the contestants sign waivers so that they couldn't be sued if someone died!

The State of California is suing the station anyway. Charges have already been filed.

[WhiteCrow]

I saw more of this on the news last night, and the sad thing is the DJ's DID know how dangerous it was. They showed a clip of the DJ's answering a phone call from an alarmed local nurse who then warned them of the lethal possibilities. The DJ's laughed and told her it was all right because they made all of the contestants sign waivers so that they couldn't be sued if someone died!

The State of California is suing the station anyway. Charges have already been filed.

Here's hoping they never work again, the sound like the Steve Wright of death ...

[Larry]

I saw more of this on the news last night, and the sad thing is the DJ's DID know how dangerous it was. They showed a clip of the DJ's answering a phone call from an alarmed local nurse who then warned them of the lethal possibilities. The DJ's laughed and told her it was all right because they made all of the contestants sign waivers so that they couldn't be sued if someone died!

The State of California is suing the station anyway. Charges have already been filed.

what an arogant piece of crap this person is by saying this he is showing utter contempt for the people who took part in this stunt..

[WhiteCrow]

Well the good news is I retract my statement about them never working again, with an attitude like that recorded on air, they're gonna find it impossible to beat being charged with manslaughter - I half wonder if they could even face murder charges ...

[Larry]

Well the good news is I retract my statement about them never working again, with an attitude like that recorded on air, they're gonna find it impossible to beat being charged with manslaughter - I half wonder if they could even face murder charges ...

very unlikely that's going to happen..

[WhiteCrow]

very unlikely that's going to happen..

Dunno I get really hazy on where the limit between manslaughter and murder comes.

If they're knowingly encouraging someone to do something which they know to be be dangerous, isn't that a level above Manslaughter? Okay going to have to look this up ... I hate law.

[Phillip Culley]

I think murder involves intent, so they could be charged for murder had they know too much water would kill and deliberately carried on with the contest with the intention of killing one or more of the participants; something I'm not sure could be proved in court.

The fact they were aware too much water could kill someone leads me to think they should be charged with something (as opposed to it being filed as an accidental death), and in this case manslaughter comes to mind since they were responsible for the death and were reckless in not ensuring something like this would not happen.

Although, of course, I'm no lawyer so I'm not sure just what legal grounding that has

[WhiteCrow]

The fact they were aware too much water could kill someone leads me to think they should be charged with something (as opposed to it being filed as an accidental death), and in this case manslaughter comes to mind since they were responsible for the death and were reckless in not ensuring something like this would not happen.

Although, of course, I'm no lawyer so I'm not sure just what legal grounding that has

I think they would have been charged with manslaughter whether they knew drinking too much water was dangerous or not. As Jade is learning, ignorance is no defence ...

However the fact they knew it was dangerous and carried on without precautions I think moves it to a higher level of manslaughter. I think watching the Louise Woodward case a few years ago kind of muddied the water regarding what is considered murder in America.

[Larry]

i think weather it be murder or manslaughter there certainly needs to be a tough punishment resulting with a prison sentence..

[Jeff]

Well, I have looked for new news items and it looks like the family has filed a Wrongful Death civil lawsuit against the station and it's employees, but no criminal charges have been filed yet. The Sacramento Sheriffs office is currently investigating the incident. I don't expect any charges would be filed until after the investigation. Also, the family's lawyer has petitioned the FCC to pull the radio station off the air by revoking its licence.

http://www.nbc4.tv/news/10845157/det...ss=la&psp=news