Woman dies in Radio Stunt to get a Wii

[EricNau]

Originally Posted by iW00t

The trouble is a nurse reportedly called the station to warn about the dangers of drinking too much water in so short a period of time, but the contestants choose not to heed her warning. Either way not sure how it'd pan out, but a legal system that helps the individuals who bag Darwin Awards suck.

The nurse called the station warning the station about the dangers of such a contest. I doubt the nurse's warning was ever passed down to the contestants.

[EricNau]

Ten Radio Station Employees Fired After Woman's Death

SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- A Sacramento area radio station fired 10 employees Tuesday, including three morning disc jockeys, after a mother of three died following an on-air water-drinking contest last week at the station's studios.

The hosts of KDND-FM's "Morning Rave" - who go by the on-air names Trish, Maney and Lukas - were fired a day after the station announced it was suspending the show and investigating the circumstances surrounding the death of Jennifer Lea Strange.

John Geary, vice president and general manager of KDND parent company, Entercom/Sacramento, made the announcement Tuesday in an e-mail to reporters. "Effective immediately, the 'Morning Rave' program is canceled and ten employees are no longer with the station."

A company spokesman, Charles Sipkins, confirmed the three DJs, as well as two other on-air personalities, "Carter" and "Fester," were among those fired. Five other employees who worked on the "Morning Rave" also were let go. All 10 were fired, the spokesman said, for violating terms of their employee agreements.

[dmw007]

Originally Posted by patseguin

Lawsuit for what? Somebody FORCED her to drink all that water? I for one never knew you could DIE from drinking too much water. What ever happened to people being responsible for their own (dumb) actions?

But in America we sue people all the time (over anything and everything).

[Dont Hurt Me]

Im glad to hear these fools were fired but it doesnt let them off the hook in my view. A nurse has allready said she contacted this station about this. Im not one for ambulance chasers but I think whoever made this decision to have this stupid contest should be held accountable. Fact is this radio station was holding a contest that could kill someone and did. I dont blame the mother for not knowing but I do blame the station for holding this contest without looking into if it was dangerous.

[EricNau]

Sheriff's Department To Probe Water-Drinking Death

SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- The Sacramento County Sheriff's Department and Sacramento County District Attorney's Office are launching an investigaton in the death of Jennifer Strange, who was found dead in her home after taking part in a radio station water-drinking contest.

Meantime, audio clips from the broadcast obtained by the Sacramento Bee are providing a clearer picture of what happened during the contest on 107.9 The End.

Jennifer Strange, 28, died Friday after drinking nearly 2 gallons of water.
The audio clips include a warning from a listener that the contest was dangerous.

Listener: "I want to say that those people drinking all that water can get sick and die from water intoxication."
DJ: "Yeah, we're aware of that."
DJ: "Yeah, they signed releases so, we're not responsible, it's OK. (laughter) If they get to the point where they have to throw up, then they're going to throw up and then they're out of the contest before they die, so that's good, right?"
Three hours later, Strange was one of two contestants left.
DJ: "How are you feeling?"
Strange: "I don't have to go pee but my stomach is really, really full."
DJ: "Yeah, Is it all the way backed up to your neck?"
Strange: "It looks like I'm pregnant again. It's pretty funny. I'm kind of entertained."
DJ: "How much longer do you think you can go, Jennifer?"
Strange: "As long as my stomach will continue to let me. Maybe a couple more."
Fifteen minutes and two more bottles of water later, Strange was not feeling well.
DJ: "Jennifer, I hear you're not doing too well."
Strange: "My head hurts."
DJ: "Aahh."
Strange: "They keep telling me it's the water -- that it'll tell my head to hurt and it will make me puke."
DJ: "Who told you that? The intern?"
Strange: "Yeah. It kind of it hurts. But, it kind of makes you feel light-headed."
DJ: "This is what it feels like when you're drowning. There is a lot of water inside of you."
Strange: "Oh, it hurts."
Finally, Strange had to drop out of the contest and settle for a consolation prize. Five hours later, she was dead.

Here's the full audio version.

[aquajet]

Link

LOS ANGELES, California (Reuters) -- A U.S. sheriff opened an investigation Wednesday into the death of a 28-year-old woman who died after taking part in a California radio contest in which contestants had to drink as much water as possible.

Sacramento station KDND-FM has fired 10 staff members over Friday's competition, called "Hold your wee for a Wii," in which about 20 people tried to out-drink each other without going to the toilet to win a Nintendo Wii games console.

Jennifer Strange, 28, a mother of three, died from suspected water intoxication after coming second. She was reported to have drunk about seven quarts of water in a bid to win the Wii for her children.

After the contest she called in sick at work and was found dead at her home about five hours later. (Full story)

Water intoxication, also known as hyperhydration or water poisoning, is potentially fatal and can cause irregular heartbeat, fluid in the lungs and swelling of the brain.

A spokesman for the station's parent company, Entercom/Sacramento, said 10 staff members, including several on-air DJs, had been fired over the incident.

"They are no longer with the company for violating the terms of their employment agreements with the station," said the spokesman, without elaborating on contract details. "This is part of an ongoing, thorough investigation."

The Sacramento County Sheriff's Department later Wednesday said it had decided to open an investigation into Strange's death.

"We have new information that has come to light from audio tapes of the show," said spokesman Sgt. Timothy Curran.

"We have decided we will open a death investigation which will take weeks and on conclusion our findings will be forwarded to the local district attorney to decide whether to lay criminal charges."

The Sacramento county coroner has yet to rule as to the cause of death but has said Strange's death was "consistent with a water intoxication death."

"We have not heard from the sheriff's department but we will of course cooperate with their investigation," said Charles Sipkins, a spokesman for Entercom/Sacramento.

In an online recording of the show, the DJs can be heard making comments joking about people dying from water intoxication, even discussing a case in Northern California two years ago in which student Matthew Carrington, 21, died after drinking too much water during a fraternity stunt.

One of the DJs even admitted they maybe should have done some research before the contest.

One female caller, who identified herself as Eva, also phoned in to warn the radio station that drinking too much water can kill.

Really? You think?

I'd like to punch them in the face, quite frankly.

[benthewraith]

Originally Posted by EricNau

Sheriff's Department To Probe Water-Drinking Death



Here's the audio version.

It sounds like she should have gone to see a doctor. This sounds like one of those things that had she gone to see a doctor, she might have lived. Stupid radio station.

[EricNau]

That audio proves that the radio station was fully aware of the dangers of the contest, and mocked & misled the contestants, pushing them to go even further.

[benthewraith]

I'm hopin' for Murder 2, but I suspect it will be negligent homicide/manslaughter.

[MacNut]

Shouldn't the station manager take some blame for this too as Im sure he is the one that authorized the stunt.

[benthewraith]

Originally Posted by MacNut

Shouldn't the station manager take some blame for this too as Im sure he is the one that authorized the stunt.

I'm amazed he/she hasn't resigned/quit, though he might not be able to due to contract. Though given the circumstances, I'm sure the network would let him go.

Just curious, because I'm East Coast, but what radio station did the event? Was it the morning crew? Afternoon?

[newoldguy]

okay, so i am watching larry king who is talking about this and a question comes up.

As this contest is going on, it is broadcast over the air in a big city, right?

surely, some folks knew about H2o intox and the possibility of death. surely, MDs and nurses and health care pros heard it as it was occuring.

one nurse called. we know that.

now the questions that I have are:

did medical professionals hear this and simply not call in knowing of the danger? did they assume that someone else would call in? did they think that the risk was low? do medical professionals not listen to this station because the content does not appeal to them? Did they call in and were ignored (we know one did, but what about others?)?

Knowing what I know about H20 intox, I look at it as if someone was holding a loaded gun in their mouth. I know if I heard it, I would have called in and said something...as did the woman in the tapes. However, would that have made a difference? As we see, no. Had more called in? Probably not as in the attitude of the DJs. I wonder if more people called in and were just ignored by the call screener.


Also, so many others did the contest and lived. It was a confluence of her body weight and H2O consumed that led to her death. Had her will been weaker, had her bladder been smaller, had any of a number of factors changed, we would probably not have even heard about this. I mean, the will to "WIN" regardless of her motivation led to her death. Her lack of knowledge about the dangers mixed with her belief that radio DJs wouldn't do anything that could be dangerous also were in play.

I just find this fascinating on so many levels (as well as so very tragic). Such a waste of a mom who cared a lot about her kids.

[EricNau]

Originally Posted by benthewraith

Just curious, because I'm East Coast, but what radio station did the event? Was it the morning crew? Afternoon?

It was help by KDND 107.9 "The End" and their morning show "The Morning Rave."

[MacNut]

Originally Posted by EricNau

It was help by KDND 107.9 "The End" and their morning show "The Morning Rave."

Sounds like a high quality station.

[Abstract]

Originally Posted by EricNau

That audio proves that the radio station was fully aware of the dangers of the contest, and mocked & misled the contestants, pushing them to go even further.

Well with the new information, yes, it was the radio station's fault. That's crazy.

[EricNau]

SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- No criminal charges will be filed following the death of a woman who took part in a radio station water-drinking contest in January, the Sacramento County district attorney said Monday.

Jennifer Strange, 28, died Jan. 12 after drinking nearly two gallons of water in a competition sponsored by 107.9 The End. Contestants were vying for a Nintendo Wii video game system.

Strange did not win the contest, which took place during the station's Morning Rave show. She was found dead hours later in her Rancho Cordova home. A preliminary coroner's report said Strange showed symptoms of water intoxication.

Strange's death was investigated by the Sacramento County Sheriff's Department homicide bureau and submitted to District Attorney Jan Scully's office for the possible filing of criminal charges.

But Scully's office said in a prepared statement that given the circumstances of the case, it appears that no criminal activity took place.

"The facts and circumstances of this ill-fated event do not support the filing of criminal charges against the radio station or any of its employees," the district attorney's office said in a statement. "Based on the evidence, no duty or special relationship existed or was created between the radio station and/or its employees and Jennifer Strange because of the contest."

"Jennifer Strange was an adult who was voluntarily participating in the radio contest," Scully's office said elsewhere in the statement. "She knew what the contest involved when she entered it, and had the option to stop or discontinue her participation in the contest at any time."

In addition, DJs interviewed Strange on the air without difficulty, the district attorney's office found.

"Finally, and most importantly in our decision not to file involuntary manslaughter charges, there were no observable indications or symptoms that Jennifer Strange was experiencing a serious medical emergency which would have required station employees to seek or administer medical aid to her," the district attorney's statement added.

A wrongful death complaint was filed in late January in Sacramento County Superior Court seeking economic, emotional and punitive damages from the radio station, the DJs of The Morning Rave show and Entercom, the parent company of the station.

Roger Dreyer, attorney for Strange's family, said the decision by Scully's office was not unexpected.

"I am not surprised by the district attorney's decision," Dreyer said in a prepared statement. "We do not believe the conduct of the individuals rose to criminal intent. It is consistent with our viewpoint from the beginning that the decision maker responsible was the management of Entercom."

Link

[nateDEEZY]

Originally Posted by EricNau

Link

Thanks for the update.

[EricNau]

For anyone who may still be following the story:

Former 107.9 The End DJ Speaks Out (video)