In a tragic turn of events, a woman who entered a radio show contest in order to win a Wii game console for her children died of complications due to water intoxication–in other words, from drinking too much water. The contest was sponsored by radio station KDND of Sacramento, California, according to reports from AP.
The contest’s goal of drinking the most water without taking a trip to the restroom. The participants started with 8 ounce bottles of water to drink every 15 minutes, with progressively larger volumes following. Jennifer Strange, the mother of three children, complained of feeling sick after the contest and said she had a very bad headache. She was later found dead at her home in Cordova, California. According to the coroner who did the preliminary examination, the symptoms surrounding the death were "consistent with a water intoxication death".
A KDND radio station spokesperson said, "We are awaiting information that will help explain how this tragic event occurred."
The frenzy which surrounded the purchase of the Xbox 360 during its debut, has driven people to desperate measures–from paying exorbitant prices to even acts of violence to lands their hands on the latest game consoles. While the case of Jennifer Strange is heartbreaking, it does give gamers everywhere a moment to pause and think about what truly is important in this world.
