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Wiitard Nation sees first fatality photo

People are so insane about getting a Wii, that they're willing to die for one ... literally. Such is the case of a mother who took part in a radio contest in which you had to "Hold Your Wee for a Wii." From CNN:

A woman who competed in a radio station's contest to see how much water she could drink without going to the bathroom died of water intoxication, the coroner's office said Saturday.

Jennifer Strange, 28, was found dead Friday in her suburban Rancho Cordova home hours after taking part in the "Hold Your Wee for a Wii" contest in which KDND 107.9 promised a Nintendo Wii video game system for the winner.

"She said to one of our supervisors that she was on her way home and her head was hurting her real bad," said Laura Rios, one of Strange's co-workers at Radiological Associates of Sacramento. "She was crying, and that was the last that anyone had heard from her."

The insanity needs to stop. No console is worth dying over and no console is worth throwing a controller into a wall for. Calm down, it's just fun and games. Everyone please take a deep breath, step back, and put things in perspective. 

 


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45 comments | showing # 1 to 45

Rosbif's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/14/2007 13:40
Rosbif
What the fuck, water intoxication?
Oni's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/14/2007 13:44
Oni
When you drink too much water your brain starts to absorb it. This is very bad, and what happened here.

Personally, I'd hold the station more at fault than anything. They should have been monitoring the intake of water more closely, or at the very least had a doctor on-site. She was trying to do this for her three kids. Now they don't have a mom or a Wii.

It sucks.
mettlepoop's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/14/2007 13:44
mettlepoop
this is a contest?
lAboMbA's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/14/2007 13:45
lAboMbA
jesus.
donkeykong's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/14/2007 13:46
donkeykong
This is awfully sad. Could the radio station be held liable here? They should have done a little research before this contest. Water intoxication is something I thought most of us were aware of, at least to some degree.

No amount of research will bring her back now though.
zwanster's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/14/2007 13:47
zwanster
damn, someone needs to have a word with whoever came up with the idea for that contest.
HighVoltage's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/14/2007 13:47
HighVoltage
That's fucked up.
World Famous's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/14/2007 13:48
World Famous
I smell a lawsuit.
Aetsen's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/14/2007 13:53
Aetsen
Jeez she shoulda' taken a piss...
Aetsen's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/14/2007 13:55
Aetsen
BTW When you drink too much water your cell membranes start to hemorrhage. Unless your a plant.
Cruds's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/14/2007 14:01
Cruds
Damn, that's a heavy price to pay for a $249 console. If something like that would happen here it would result in a lawsuit and we don't have sueing culture like in the US.
Magesx's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/14/2007 14:07
Magesx
If it is the radio station's fault, it's also her fault for subjecting herself to it.
synce's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/14/2007 14:09
synce
It's hard to feel sorry for anyone when there's so much stupidity involved in this case.
Dennen's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/14/2007 14:12
Dennen
Unless of course they didn't warn her of the possibility of it happening. In which case is all they'd need for a lawsuit. It's the same reason why there's warning labels on various items. Regardless of a persons knowledge on the subject of what is being done, it is the job of those holding said contest to warn the contestants of possible problems.
ZMTToxics's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/14/2007 14:14
ZMTToxics
RIP Wii lover.
CaffeinePowered's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/14/2007 14:15
CaffeinePowered
That pretty sad, and stupid on the part of the radio station, I hope they warend the contestants of the dangers before they started.
Aaron Linde's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/14/2007 14:17
Aaron Linde
Stupid or not, that's a shitty way to go out, and a really unfortunate arrangement for her young'uns. All she wanted to do was win a Wii for her kids.

It's a drag, that's all.
Ocana's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/14/2007 14:19
Ocana
That's absolutely insane.
Someone has to be liable for that awful consequence...

It is a good point to start pondering about the obsession of consuming... (Did any of you watch a documentary called "Surplus: terrified into being consumers" ?)
Diverse's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/14/2007 14:20
Diverse
Summa you wrote this down acting like she purposely killed herself to get her kids a Wii. IT WAS AN ACCIDENT! Plus that Yoshi pic looks like he's jerking off.
A Humble Mr Perfect's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/14/2007 14:28
A Humble Mr Perfect
God help her children. As far as pointless, nonsensical deaths run, this is akin to a Kenyan marathon runner.

Human nature is a funny thing, people die for frivolities every damn day. Everybody needs a frosty cool glass of perspective.
Mxyzptlk's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/14/2007 14:28
Mxyzptlk
Ballistic90's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/14/2007 14:29
Ballistic90
At the very least I'd hope the station desides to give the family some form of compensation at the absolute very least. This is why I hate these kinds of contests, because without proper supervision or monitoring, these things CAN happen. Yes, the woman could have stopped, but she probably wasn't aware of the signs of water intoxication, if not of the actual condition itself. It makes sense to have a doctor nearby to help diagnose any ill effects. Yes, they warned her that the contestants could stop at any time and all of those other things, but I have a feeling she never knew the real consequences.
Cruds's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/14/2007 14:31
Cruds
It's already up on the wikipedia page of water intoxication.
Aetsen's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/14/2007 14:34
Aetsen
Wow, if she had been drinking Gatorade she might have lived.
Faith's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/14/2007 14:41
Faith
What a horrible way to go. That Radio station is in a lot of trouble for pulling that stunt.
Oni's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/14/2007 14:51
Oni
She probably wasn't aware of the dangers of water toxicity. Not a lot of people really are, which is why this case is so unfortunate.

I really hope something happens here. Somebody needs to be fired, and I think the family should get some money here for their pain and suffering. This should have been watched closer and could have very easily been prevented.

I can't hold the mother at fault here. She wasn't stupid. She's not a Wiitard. She was just trying to do something good for her kids to make them happy. Lots of parents would do this, I think. Unfortunately, she didn't know and was uninformed of the risks involved with drinking copious amounts of water that quickly.
Monte's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/14/2007 14:55
Monte
y'know, the end of the article is rather erronous. While it's true some poeple do insane things to get a console, i'd be definatly willing to bet the woman in this case had no idea that she could actually die from from what she was doing. I mean, death from drinking too much water and not peeing doesn't sound like it would be very common knowledge. god knows i didn't know it could be THAT dangerous, a few health problems yes, but not death.

Anyway, unless they gave out a warning i would hold the radio station at thought... whehter or not they knew about water intoxification beforehand doesn't matter since they should have did research and foudn out ANY possible health problems that could result from such actions.
Ninja's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/14/2007 15:01
Ninja
People in the U.S. are way to sue happy, but this is precisely why we have laws that let people sue. Criminal negligence all the way. I remember a radio station having a contest a few years ago where a bunch of people sat on ice chairs, and the one who could stay there the longest won tickets to the superbowl. If they got sued after someone got frostbite, there's not doubt in my mind that these people are going to get their pants sued off.
emorymdotcom's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/14/2007 15:09
emorymdotcom
3 kids at 28? Wow. If only she's preordered this wouldn't have happened... Go Go GameStop!
Shin Green Carnage's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/14/2007 15:13
Shin Green Carnage
wow that sux
crazywes's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/14/2007 15:21
crazywes
So if she died cause she didn't wee wee then doesn't that mean she should have won the wii?

Oni's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/14/2007 15:52
Oni
She didn't die due to not peeing. She died of water toxicity.
The Mental Challenger's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/14/2007 15:59
The Mental Challenger
Well, not all of us can be as smart as the French.
nightmareci's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/14/2007 16:43
nightmareci
I'd *almost* kill just to have a chance at PURCHASING a Wii, but I'd never die to let someone else have one. I've heard of water intoxication with ecstasy users (their body overheats, then they drink too much to cool down), but this is a little crazy, and sad at the same time. If only there could be more Wii's to go around, but I bet the increased numbers would still be constantly sold out everywhere, like it is right now.
Holyetheline's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/14/2007 18:20
Holyetheline
Holy OMFG wtf.
Magesx's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/14/2007 19:56
Magesx
It's really unfair to put the whole of the blame on the radio station. :/
The Mental Challenger's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/14/2007 20:30
The Mental Challenger
Actually, it's really unfair to put any of the blame on the radio station. They held the contest, the people who participated were the numbnutted ones who weren't graced by the blessing of natural selection.
emuscles's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/14/2007 21:24
emuscles
how is it unfair to put the blame on the radio station? please explain.
subnet6's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/14/2007 22:01
subnet6
The real tragedy here is that people actually LIVE in Rancho Cordova. Yikes!
Magesx's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/14/2007 22:49
Magesx
I didn't say it was unfair to blame the radio station. I said it was unfair to put the whole of the blame on the radio station.
Dash16's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/14/2007 23:40
Dash16
I think it's ironic this radio station is known as "The End".

Also, where is the public apology and condolences to the family on their website? I think criminal negligence is a pretty fair accusation.
dprime's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/15/2007 11:35
dprime
Being willing to die for a Wii would be a lot less stupid if it weren't for the following factors:

- Not using the bathroom isn't the only way to get one.
- If you die you don't ever get to play Wii again, not even at a friend's house.
- In about six months they'll be readily available, and in a few years they'll be cheap too.
dprime's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/15/2007 11:37
dprime
As stupid as everyone involved in this was, you can't really say that anyone is criminally responcible. The woman participated voluntarily.

Making stupidity illegal would cost the justice system way too much anyway.
Lezbro's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/15/2007 15:35
Lezbro
The takeaway?

Pee or die.
Lex's Avatar - Comment posted on 01/18/2007 10:35
Lex
This woman was killed by stupidity. From her own and from the radio guys.

Simply eating a spoon of salt would have saved her life.
Or the radio guys should have told the stupid people that they should eat a teaspoon of salt for every large waterglas they drink.
Everybody knows that you die from drinking too much salty Seawater, but it seems lots of people dont know why and dont know that you die cuz of the opposite effect when drinking to much sweetwater.
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