Tragic Wii-related death

**BRODYMAN** · 01-15-2007, 07:33 AM

This is the most comprehensive article I could find, so I'm posting it here:

http://www.charlotte.com/mld/charlot...s/16464439.htm

truly tragic, and a truly stupid contest...although I would gladly have partaken.

**sabby** · 01-15-2007, 07:57 AM

That's sad. That's too young for a mother of three to die. I couldn't imagine losing my wife under any circumstance, but like this, I really do not know. Side note: I had just graduated from Chico St. when that frat story came through.

**Tekkaman** · 01-15-2007, 09:57 AM

It's pretty ridiculous that the radio station didn't do any sort of research into the repurcussions that a stunt like this could have. I mean, if a radio station said "A Wii for whomever takes the most shotgun blasts to the face," don't you think that someone would have said "Umm...maybe we should check to see if that's safe"? This is totally the fault of the radio station, especially with a previously documented case of this kind of death.

I'm completely shocked that something like this could have happened. My condolences go out to that poor family. When I saw the title I thought it was really going to be a Wii-related death. This really wasn't. This was just the gross negligence of too many people lacking common sense.

**thebird1003** · 01-15-2007, 01:03 PM

its truely sad i mean if you want a wii so bad just go buy 1 its only $250 in the states if i was the the family i would sue.

**fedor** · 01-15-2007, 01:34 PM

That is horrible... Who would make such a contest

Drinking to much water, soda (whatever) is really bad

**Tekkaman** · 01-15-2007, 02:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by thebird1003

its truely sad i mean if you want a wii so bad just go buy 1 its only $250 in the states

Are you seriously trying to put the blame on the people who participated in the contest? What's wrong with wanting to win a Wii for free? You act like you've never entered a contest before.

Quote:

Originally Posted by thebird1003

if i was the the family i would sue.

Oh, heck yeah. It's the least they should do.

**thebird1003** · 01-15-2007, 03:29 PM

nothing is worng with getting a wii for free but you got to at least make sure its safe if you dont they its just plain stupied

**BRODYMAN** · 01-15-2007, 04:00 PM

The truly tragic part about it is how Water Poisoning is how painful it must be. Basically, a rapid influx of additional water causes a drop in the sodium concentrations in the body. Cells like to be isotonic with the fluids surrounding them. Since the surrounding fluids are now more-water/less sodium, the cells try to absorb more water to balance out. If the balance is far enough off from drinking enough water quickly enough, the cells can burst.

If they had used Gatorade which is balanced to , this would not have happened.

As far as who is ultimately responsible...I'm not sure. I knew about water toxicity before I read this article, but I don't know how widespread the knowledge is. Tek, I think your example is a bit extreme. This is a little more like getting some sort of terminal illness from eating a nicaraguan hissing cockroach on Fear Factor.

Any way you look a it...tragic :blank:

**thebird1003** · 01-15-2007, 04:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tekkaman

"A Wii for whomever takes the most shotgun blasts to the face,"

i agree with Brody, Tek if sone would have entered "A Wii for whomever takes the most shotgun blasts to the face," contest no one would have won its just common sence i mean you said it your self

**Kugyince** · 01-15-2007, 04:44 PM

I'm sure all the contestants had to sign a waver to participate.

I don't think the radio station should be held accountable. If you're either desperate or moronic enough to participate in some inane radio station stunt for a lump of plastic what ever happens to you, its your own damn fault.

She was a consenting adult. Last time I knew, "adult" meant you were able to take responsibility for your own actions. The whole lot of them are just a bunch of fools.

**BRODYMAN** · 01-15-2007, 04:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tenser

I'm sure all the contestants had to sign a waver to participate.

I don't think the radio station should be held accountable. If you're either desperate or moronic enough to participate in some inane radio station stunt for a lump of plastic what ever happens to you, its your own damn fault.

She was a consenting adult, last time I knew, "adult" meant you were able to take responsibility for your own actions. The whole lot of them are just a bunch of fools.

"Them"? do you not consider yourself one?

**Kugyince** · 01-15-2007, 04:48 PM

By "them" I'm referring to the contestants.

**thebird1003** · 01-15-2007, 04:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tenser

If you're either desperate or moronic enough to participate in some inane radio station stunt for a lump of plastic what ever happens to you, its your own damn fault.

you spelled insane worng

**Kugyince** · 01-15-2007, 04:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by thebird1003

you spelled insane worng

That would be fine if I were trying to spell "insane". The word of the day is "inane". They sell pocket dictionaries at the dollar store.:rolleyes:

By the way, you spelled the word "wrong" incorrectly.

01-15-2007, 05:07 PM

this is wii-ter toxicity

**sabby** · 01-15-2007, 05:21 PM

onvgprocks : Not very funny.

bird : Seeing many of your posts, I wouldn't criticize anyone on spelling and grammar.

**Kong** · 01-15-2007, 05:53 PM

The article did say they signed waivers only for publicity so they could use their voices on the radio. They did not sign a waiver that covered safety which means they will be able to sue for enough money to buy any Wii product Nintendo makes.

I blame the society. Society puts the pressure on the mom to get a piece of plastic that she can not afford and society will buy the piece of plastic for her if she is willing to make a fool of herself and put herself at risk in public.

**Tekkaman** · 01-16-2007, 10:43 AM

You can't necessarily put the blame on the contestants. They are assuming, either consciously or subconsciously, that this stunt is safe. As I said, someone at that station should have looked into the possible ramifications that ingesting large quantities of water could have on a person. It only makes sense...doubly so in an area where a similar tragedy already took place!

If the contest was to drink a bunch of water and someone died because they choked while they were drinking, obviously that would be a totally different story. That's no one's fault but Fate and Chance. The point is that the cause of this woman's death is directly related to the stunt. Therefore, whomever was responsible for green-lighting that stunt (the radio station), is at fault. I don't think that the average person knows that it is unhealthy to ingest too much water.

UPDATE: I went ahead and subscribed to the Sacramento Bee, the local newspaper where this story was originally reported. The most recent news is that the morning show that held the contest has been removed from the air for an undetermined amount of time while they investigate the ramifications that this incident will have on the station and the show.

In addition, I found this little blurb in their "Health and Fitness" section rather interesting regarding a comment that BRODYMAN made about Gatorade:

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sacramento Bee

There also may be little protection in switching from plain water to sports drinks fortified with electrolytes and glucose. The 2005 study of marathoners, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, found equal levels of hyponatremia among runners who drank water and those who used sports drinks.