News / Health & Wellness
Woman’s Death in Nintendo Wii Radio Station Contest Leads to 10 Employees Being Fired
The death of Jennifer Lea Strange, a 28-year-old mother of three, as a result of a water drinking contest promoted by a Sacramento radio station has led to the firing of 10 employees.
KDND-FM collected 18 participants for their “Hold your Wee for a Wii” contest last Friday. The contestant who drank the most amount of water without using the bathroom would win a Nintendo Wii game console valued at $250.
After making her way down to the final two participants, Strange began to feel sick and had to quit. She told the on-air DJ “"My head hurts. They keep telling me that it's the water...that it will tell my head to hurt and it'll make me puke.”
Strange called in sick to work after the contest, complaining of a terrible pain and a headache. About five-hours later her mother found her dead.
A preliminary autopsy report indicated that Strange died from water intoxication. An excess of water in the body can lead to vital fluids becoming diluted, this in turn leads to a drop in sodium levels which could lead to swelling of the brain, seizures, coma, and in some cases death.
Vice president and general manager of Entercom/Sacramento, the parent company of KDND, sent an email to reporters on Tuesday stating “Effective immediately, the 'Morning Rave' program is canceled and ten employees are no longer with the station.”
Strange took part in the gimmick hoping to win the system for her children.
