A couple of days ago, I commented on the sad case of Jennifer Strange, the woman who entered a water drinking contest and died, apparently of water intoxication. While listening to the radio this morning as I got ready for work, I heard pundits discussing the case, and one of them stated that she had drunk over two gallons of water in the course of the contest. I've been unable to confirm that Strange did indeed drink that much water, but, if true, that would be around 8 L of water in a short period of time and would be enough to explain her death.
The DJ also mentioned that the Sacramento radio station had taken the morning radio show off the air while an investigation occurs. It sounds as though the radio station is going to try to scapegoat the DJs. I find it very hard to believe that the station's program director and other management didn't sign off on this contest before it went on the air, particularly given that it's been reported that contestants had to sign legal waivers before participating.
I will continue to keep an eye out for more details and, if appropriate, post on this case again.
ADDENDUM: According to this AP report, the radio station did not warn the contestants that drinking a lot of water in a short period of time could result in death, and a nurse apparently called the station to warn them that the contest was dangerous:
SACRAMENTO - Two people who competed in a radio station's water drinking contest with a 28-year-old mother of three who later died said they were never warned they were putting their health at risk, a newspaper reported Monday.
Gina Sherrod said that family members listening in on KDND-FM's "Hold Your Wee for a Wii" contest told her that a nurse called into the program to warn that drinking too much water was dangerous, but that she did not worry until she learned of Jennifer Lea Strange's death.
"I was so scared," Sherrod told The Sacramento Bee on Sunday. "I had the hardest time going to sleep last night because I was afraid I wouldn't get up."
And:
Fellow contestant James Ybarra said he quit drinking after imbibing eight bottles, but Stange, who placed second, and others kept going even after they were handed even larger containers.
Strange showed other participants photographs of her two sons and daughter, for whom she was hoping to win the Nintendo Wii, Ybarra said.
"It is sad that a mother had to lose her life to get something for her kids," he told The Bee. "None of us knew this could be a risk to our health."
If confirmed, this is looking more and more like criminal negligence to me.
I'd be curious as to how the legal waiver looked like. I'd be surprised if it said "this can kill you". Even if it had, would this type of waiver protect them from liability or would it merely serve as a proof that they were aware of the dangers and choose to go head with this idiotic contest and without a doctor present?
I'm no expert, but I'm doubtful such a waiver, with or without the warning of death, would hold up in court. Especially if suicide is illegal, it would seem that the possibility of killing yourself trying to win this game of luck/stomachly training would invalidate the waiver.
In my residing province in Alberta, I'm pretty sure that any legal agreement to committing a crime is wholely invalidated. I like to think there's something similar there.
But I am upset, interested, and watchful.
Legal waivers don't cover death, even if they specifically state that they do. This is a fortunate by-product of the anti-suicide and anti-assisted suicide laws on the books in the US. They make it so that you can't sign a waiver absolving someone of guilt for helping to kill you (well, you can sign it, but it's meaningless).
Waivers are only effective against civil action not criminal prosecution. Plus as Infophile pointed out any contract with an illegal provision is void.
I think everyone is responsible for their own action. People should know their limits when doing something and they shoud be aware of how dangerous it can be. The radio station is not to blame for this accident because anyone should know that water can through you off balance. Everyone participate at their own well, and I love that radio station and i totally support them. They did not force anyone to participate this contest, and PEOPLE SHOULD KNOW THEIR LIMITS! Water do not kill, unless if these people do not stop themselves from being endanger. Radio station do not kill, they make it fun and give away cool prizes. Its people that are killing themselves for not knowing their LIMITS! I am very upset that my favorite radio station is being shut off..
tiffanie:
While most of that is true to a point, the radio station has a of responsibility to make sure the contests are safe. This one wasnt. They didnt even have a nurse or doctor on hand in case something happened and when the person started feeling ill they just let her leave. Thats negligence. Now, I mostly blame her for her death and reserve my sympathy for her children, but the radio station should have been more careful and has to take a certain amount of responsiblity since it was their game. Its the same as if someone dies in a bar of alchohol poisoning the bar is liable, even though they didnt tie down the customer and pour a bottle of vodka down their throat.
The sheriff has opened an investigation, http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/01/17/radio.death.reut/index.html. According to the reports the radio station knew that water could kill and even joked about it. Sounds like criminal negligence and even manslaughter to me.
I think the entire chain of command at this radio station should get it in the teeth.
Sadly, these radio DJs will do anything to get their call letters and times out...remember Opie and Anthony sending a couple and a sound crew into St. Patrick's Cathedral to have sex in the pews? And Beau Duran in Phoenix, propositioning the grieving widow of Cardinal pitcher Darryl Kile on the air? They got fired...and got new jobs, for bigger money. They're all trying to out-Howard Stern Howard Stern, and failing.
Hm. I regularly go to events that have printed on the tickets a warning that you may die.
A lot of action is taken to try to keep you from dying, though, but the ticket is at least a wake-up call, if you needed one.