Anyone hear about this Radio Contest?

[michblanch]

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Jennifer Strange complained on-air Friday that she had a headache and felt lightheaded, but offered to drink even more water if hosts of KDND's "Morning Rave" wanted her to.
The haunting exchange that preceded her death several hours later is captured in a recording of the show obtained by the Sacramento Bee.

The 4-hour-40-minute recording indicates that the show's hosts knew of the dangers of water intoxication — even discussing a case two years ago in which a student at California State University-Chico died after drinking too much water during a fraternity hazing.

"Maybe we should have researched this," one of the DJs is heard saying before the contest started. "Hold Your Wee for a Wii" competitors had to drink as much water as they could without going to the bathroom for a Nintendo game system.

In a groggy conversation with a co-host of the "Morning Rave," Strange, 28, said after dropping out of the contest that her head hurt, but that "they keep telling me though that it's the water, that it will tell my head to hurt and then it will make me puke."

"Who told you that, the intern?" a host asked Strange.

"Yeah," she replied. "It hurts, but makes you feel lightheaded."

Strange and the contest's winner were escorted from a kitchen inside the station and into a studio, where one host said Strange's stomach was so large she looked "three months' pregnant." A host then asked Strange if she wanted to lie down.

"I could probably drink more if you guys could pick me up," Strange told the hosts. "Do you want me to? What can I get?"

Strange finished as the runner-up to another woman. In exchange for dropping out, Strange received two tickets to Friday night's Justin Timberlake concert at Arco Arena. She was found dead Friday afternoon.

Nearly 40 minutes before kicking off the contest, the "Morning Rave" hosts discussed the dangers of water poisoning. One DJ mentioned he had once drunk two gallons of water.

"Can't you get water poisoning and, like, die?" asked another host.

"Your body is 98 percent water," a co-host responded. "Why can't you take in as much water as you want?"

Someone in the background was heard asking about "that poor kid in college," apparently referring to Matthew Carrington, who died in 2005 after an all-night fraternity hazing.

"That's what I was thinking," a host responded.

"Yeah, well, he was doing other things," someone else said.

About two hours into the contest, a woman who identified herself as Eva called the show. She warned the hosts that "those people that are drinking all that water can get sick and possibly die from water intoxication."

One host replied that "we're aware of that." Another said the contestants had signed releases, "so we're not responsible."

"And if they get to the point where they have to throw up, then they're going to throw up and they're out of the contest before they die, so that's good, right?" one host said. One of the hosts then asked a DJ stationed in the kitchen with the contestants, "Is anybody dying in there?"

"We got a guy who's just about to die," he said.

"Make sure he signs the release," the host replied.

Contestants were given 8-ounce bottles of water to drink in two minutes. Within 10 minutes, the contestants drank again. After eight rounds, contestants drank 16-ounce bottles. During each round, contestants can be heard on the recording laughing and talking loudly. One of the hosts described the scene in the room as "jovial," leading the group that started with 20 contestants in toasts each time they drank another bottle.

Contestant Jennifer Winsor said Strange was stoic when others complained of having to go to the bathroom. "She was kind of quiet and stood back," Winsor said. "She was very self-assured and exuded confidence."

Winsor said she drank nine of the 16-ounce bottles and saw Strange drink a 10th — a total of 224 ounces of water, or nearly two gallons. She said she was bothered to learn that DJs knew the contest might be hazardous.

Strange told friends she had entered the contest to win a new Nintendo Wii video-gaming system for her children.

After Strange dropped out of the contest about 9:30 a.m. and left the studio, she called a co-worker saying she had changed her plan to go into work at Radiological Associates. She cried, and said she had a headache and felt dizzy. Another co-worker asked Strange's mother to check on her.

Strange's mother found her dead in her Rancho Cordova home around 2 p.m.

[Demiurge]

I heard about that. Quite possibly the dumbest contest every. Making someone over-consume something and prohibit them from relieving themselves is an invitation for something bad to happen.

[jb4674]

I saw it on Fox this morning, really stupid on her part.

Jimmy

[crevis]

"ohhh, my head hurts, I feel like im gunna die.... but I could win a Wii, glug..glug..glug"

They really shouldve at least consulted a medic first and if they gave her a waver wit hthe risks on it, then they must have known the risks.

[Polaris20]

I wonder how well that waiver is going to hold up in court, since one instance resulted in death.

[crevis]

It would be a tradgic irony if they werent held responsible in the country where anyone can sew (I dont know how to spell it) anyone for anything for any amount.

[jim777]

I think it's tragic that young lady died, but it's almost beyond comprehension that the contest was held in the first place.

[michblanch]

And she left behind 3 small children.

The news is reporting that 10 people have been fired from the radio station.

[GilkyBear]

Unbeleivable that with this many people watching and listening, they were allowed to go through with this idiotic idea. They may as well have played russian roulette for one. The idiots that pulled this stunt should be charged with a serious crime and the young lady should be the recipient of a Darwin Award.

[Polaris20]

Originally Posted by crevis

It would be a tradgic irony if they werent held responsible in the country where anyone can sew (I dont know how to spell it) anyone for anything for any amount.

irony indeed. I suspect there will be some fallout from it even with the signed releases, but probably not nearly enough as one would expect. Not that any amount of money can replace a human life, but you know what I mean.

Though I do seem to recall in my law class that a contract, release, or legal agreement that is for something illegal is deemed false.

So it could be determined by the court that the signed releases are void due to be being illegal in nature, such as the participants not being away of the potentially fatal nature.

Who knows. I'm not a lawyer. I just work for them.

[LonePhantom]

Yeah I read about that the other day. I don't think that contract will hold up too well in court.

As much as I don't think much about the legal system in the US where you can sue people and win off being a stupid idiot, I don't think a lot of people are aware that you can die from drinking too much water.

I think the radio station deserves everything that is coming to them in this case.

[Hikey Mikey]

In other stupid video game contest news, a Wal-Mart manager set up ten chairs, one for each of the Playstation 3 consoles he had, and told a crowd hoping to buy them that the first ten people to sit in a chair would get one. At least one nineteen-year-old was sent to the hospital.

[andy7jem]

No-one actually forced this woman to do it though. One must question her own intelligence

[crevis]

I would've done it, I wouldve just thrown it up tho, chicks dont like to chuck.

[Polaris20]

Originally Posted by crevis

I would've done it, I wouldve just thrown it up tho, chicks dont like to chuck.

By the time you start puking, it could already be too late.

As with alcohol poisoning, the progression from mild to severe symptoms may occur rapidly as the water continues to enter the body from the intestines or intravenously.

source:

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