Radio station KDND of Sacramento, California held a contest last week called, "Hold your wee for a Wii" in which contestants drank huge amounts of water without going to the bathroom in hopes of winning one of the rare game machines, but tragedy fell when a mother of three–trying to win one for her children–died after ingesting too much water. The radio station DJs responsible for the stunt may be facing criminal investigation for the incident, according to Reuters.
After the terrible events unfolded, KDND immediately fired 10 employees, five of which were on-air talent. According to the Sacramento Bee, before the contest took place, the radio personalities were joking about the topic of people dying from water intoxication on the air. Several hours into the contest, a caller phoned in to warn the radio station that the stunt was a dangerous one. "Those people that are drinking all that water can get sick and possibly die from water intoxication." A radio station DJ replied, "We are aware of that." Another disk jockey took a more flippant attitude and said, "They signed releases, so we’re not responsible. It’s OK."
Sgt. Timothy Curran of the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department said, "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."
John Geary, General Manager of KDND, stated on the station’s official website that, "All of you are probably aware of the tragic death of a contestant, Jennifer Strange, following her participation in a contest on the Morning Rave [radio show] last Friday. First and foremost, our thoughts and sympathies go out to the family and loved ones of Ms. Strange. I also want to assure you that the circumstances regarding this matter are being examined as thoroughly as possible. We are doing everything we can to deal with this difficult situation in a manner that is both respectful and responsible. Effective immediately, the Morning Rave show is canceled."
