This is disturbing

[pandora_parrot]

Have you heard about the lady that died trying to win a Wii? Here's the story.

This radio excerpt , though, is really disturbing. This is a recording of the broadcast mere hours before she died. She's the one they talk to at the end, and she's saying that she's feeling light headed.

I'm pretty sure that this is a picture of the woman and her family. This whole thing is really really sad. She leaves behind three kids and a husband.

Comments

[shelleybear.livejournal.com]

I feel sorry for the kids and the husband.
She won the Darwin award and she did so by choice.
What else would you have me say?
Besides, the lawyers are probably already lining up outside her house.
Stupidity like this seldom goes unrewarded.

[paradox-puree.livejournal.com]

Sure... but I don't think most people realize the danger of something like this. And those radio DJs were being idiots and totally downplaying the danger.

[take-walker.livejournal.com]

The really sad part is that people are stupid enough to do things like this to themselves in order to win things.

[uilos.livejournal.com]

Medically what she died from is hyponatremia (reduced sodium content in the blood), but most of the news sites I read neglect to mention that. They just keep calling it 'water intoxication', like you can get drunk off water.

I think what happened in this case is that when there is so little sodium in the blood, the body starts shunting water off to wherever it can - usually the tissues. Brain is a tissue. It would explain the headaches and light-headedness.

[ayellowbirds.livejournal.com]

I thought that term sounded nonsensical. Thanks for clearing it up.

[pazi-ashfeather.livejournal.com]

I do find this very bitterly upsetting. I think it's a case of monumental stupidity on her part and blithe misconduct (or even misinformation) on the part of the station. In the case of stupidity, it's not that she should have known--it just doesn't intuitively make sense, I guess, that drinking too much water can kill you. But this is knowledge that should have been available, I feel, and certainly those responsible for the contest should have made the participants aware of the risks.

Some of the upset I deal with by humor, but really this just shouldn't have happened.

[personcalledamy.livejournal.com]

I've been following it. So sad. She was doing it to win the Wii for her kids, too. Methinks they're in for some issues.

I read today that all the station employees involved in the contest were fired. At least they're not trying to play it off as something other than awful.

[pouchedfox.livejournal.com]

I was talking with a coworker about that today, we both thought it was horrible that something that was meant in fun, killed her, a sad unexpected way to go.

[theflamecrow.livejournal.com]

They fired the guys who did that show, btw

[the-mac-danee.livejournal.com]

It really appears to be a tragic accident. People do not assume that drinking too much water could kill you and in general, I bet most people would stop drinking water prior to drinking too much. This happened to a person in the DC area who was preparing to take part in some type of marathon/biking type event and was trying to hydrate. Its a freaky thing.

The firing was likely the "nice" thing to do so someone (likey the family) could feel like someone other than the person who did it was responsible.

Either way its sad.

[smallhawk.livejournal.com]

Didn't hear about this until now, methinks that it will be really awful for those kids. Is it wrong that I wonder if she still won it and they got it? It didn't say at all.

Oh, and hello. I just stumbled upon your journal and you seem pretty interesting! :)

[paradox-puree.livejournal.com]

She didn't win. If you listen to the audio, she quit early.