Monday, January 15, 2007

hyponatremia in Sacramento

Radio stations usually have fun webpages...not boring text heavy front pages like the webpage picture shown to the right.

Last Friday 107.9 The End (KDND) out of Sacramento, California held a radio contest called "Hold your wee for a wii" were contestants were challenged to see who could drink the most water with out having to use the restroom. The contestant that could go the longest would win a Nintendo Wii.

Yet, one contestant Jennifer Strange died of water intoxication (hyponatremia) at home hours after the competition.

I post this, one because it is very sad, and tramatic. I feel sorry for the friends and family of Jennifer Strange.

I also imagine the staff of KDND's moring show (The Morning Rave) feel awful. The front page of the KDND's webpage is posted above where VP John Geary states sympathy to friends and family of Jennifer Strange and states that "Morning Rave is off the air indefinitely."

Interestingly, this sight has gotten a fair number of hits in regards to the news event over the past couple days, because of the title of this blog (Strange Culture) and it's relation to the water overdose victim.

Also, I did a post as a gag were I posted a "water drinking contest" on the world water day website, which incidentally got published on the site.

I even received this e-mail in my inbox today...

Dear RC:
A number of side effects, some fatal, can result from drinking too much water. Cancel the competition! It is unsafe. A woman just died in the States after a water drinking contest. Contests that encourage people to consume ANYTHING either too quickly or in too large a quantity are generally not a good idea.
Thank you
Andrew


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6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Jennifer was my friends wife, I didnt know her but I know my Friend Billy is devastated. Thank you for taking the time to post this.

Anonymous said...

Wow. I hadn't heard about this. That's sad indeed. You'd figure the station would have checked into any potential problems before running the competition.

jasdye said...

as much as my heart goes out to the young lady (and all concerned, of course), i can't help but admit that my mind went straight to a 'turkey drop' promotion done by a little radio station in cincinnati...

sorry.

Anonymous said...

Dear Anonymous, I hope you friend and Ms Strange's family sue the sh** out of that radio station. Hyponatremia is not an unknown condition and happens quite frequently, just not as often to the point of death. Thoughts to all who grieve.

Anonymous said...

My heart goes out to the family and friends of this woman, however, it is not the radio stations fault that people will go to any lengths to get a stupid game system. My goodness, have common sense people. Yes, lets sue just like the lady who buys a cup of coffee and spills it on herself and then sues the restaurant--common sense people. Take some responsibility for your own actions.

Publius said...

Sorry, anonymous, this is NOTHING like the McDonald's coffee lawsuit. (Which, by the way, occurred because the coffee was so hot it caused third-degree burns requiring skin grafts.)

This case involves a woman who died because of a risk that she was told nothing about - but about which the hosts knew plenty, according to the clips of the show available on the Sacramento Bee today.

Now it appears that homicide detectives are looking into the incident, which is as it should be.

I'm all for suing the piss out of the station.