[Nerull]

While the woman is partially at fault, (most people are in fact ignorant that water intoxication can actually occur) the DJs are mostly to blame for the manipulation.
Coupling this with the fact that everyone wants something for free, and it's a recipe for disaster. Take for example we have a contest giving out $1000 for anyone who can drink so much water in a given period of time. Homeless people, people who think "they're tough enough" and a whole assortment would come try to do it, and some of them could die. You could kill people because of them wanting / needing money or some prize (especially despicable in the homeless case). So in effect, someone psychotic and vilely manipulative, could kill people off by running these sorts of things. The government (or someone) needs to stop / warn people from these sorts of things, because regardless of "I'm not dumb enough to do that..." or "What an idiot..." sort of comments, someone unfortunately, isn't as smart or wise as you (kids, homeless, gullible people...).

That's honestly quite a tragedy.

~Tom

 

[euclid]

those DJs should go to jail along with whoever is producing.

a nurse calls in and is on-air warning of death from intoxication, and in typical daytime-talk-radio-fashion the DJs act like they control the world. the woman is complaining of pain and they make fun of her.

 

[pne]

Quote:

Originally Posted by euclid /img/forum/go_quote.gif those DJs should go to jail along with whoever is producing. a nurse calls in and is on-air warning of death from intoxication, and in typical daytime-talk-radio-fashion the DJs act like they control the world. the woman is complaining of pain and they make fun of her.

my thoughts exactly. its disgusting seeing their attitude towards the contestants, not caring about their health at all, and passing off the responsibility of injury by having them sign a waiver.

unfortunately its the same kind of lewd behavior that attracts listenners. A local radio station holds similar contests. Last year a contestant was given the chance to win playoff tickets or something, if they could stand a minute of being hit with paintballs. Of course human nature kicks in and the station decides to get some serious paintball players with fully automatic/ highly modified guns. In the end he lost the contest, and was pelleted by some few thousands of rounds, probably taking injury equilavent to that of a beating. A similar contest involved a man tying raw meat to himself and trying to run across a football field while trained attack dogs were released on him. Really this stuff just brings out the worst in people, its become the norm to find public humiliation and sadism humorous.

 

[NtD Gr3nade]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aman /img/forum/go_quote.gif You'd have to be a pretty uneducated dope to not know that you can intoxicate yourself with an over-exposure to water. It's common sense. This is completely the woman's fault. If she didn't know that this could potentially kill her, she probably had no business participating. I am very saddened by the loss of a life, but in no way should a radio station be held responsible for one person's lack of common sense.

You also have to think where she was coming from...... she wasnt very wealthy, single parent from my understanding, and she was doing it for her kids. This was a very dangerous contest from the start, I'm suprised they were even allowed to hold such a thing.

 

[plainsong]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vicomte /img/forum/go_quote.gif Perhaps Head-Fi could have a similar contest, such as "Hold a Hornet for a Hornet" Whomever holds it longest wins.

Not me, I'm allergic. The contest would have to be at the hospital.

Oh yeah, I have a Hornet already, and I'm not allergic to this one!

 

[Aman]

Quote:

Originally Posted by NtD Gr3nade /img/forum/go_quote.gif You also have to think where she was coming from...... she wasnt very wealthy, single parent from my understanding, and she was doing it for her kids. This was a very dangerous contest from the start, I'm suprised they were even allowed to hold such a thing.

I agree completely that it's very, truly tragic that she perished. Being a single mother, it's a really bad thing. However, the responsibility lies on her for not knowing the risks involved. You know how all those radio stations hold those contests where the contestants touch a band new car, and whoever holds onto the car the longest wins? People go days without taking their hands off of that car, even if it means not sitting down for that whole time. Well, if you stand up for too long, you can die also. Should all those DJs be sued and fired too?

The fact is that if you don't feel you can handle the risk, you shouldn't participate. If you don't know anything about the risks, you DEFINITELY shouldn't be participating. Especially if she's got all that to lose. Being somebody who knows about the dangers of water intoxication, I would have told those DJs to screw themselves and that I'd buy my own Wii. What's more valuable? A life, or a video game system?

People just have no common sense these days. And then, when these faults become serious issues, they do the good old American thing to do and sue the bastards. But seriously guys, this is America - there's no reason why those DJs should be sued! There was no guarantee every contestant would be harmed, so there was only a small potential risk involved, and they signed off waivers anyway. The DJs may have been sick and manipulative, but ultimately it's the stupid decisions of the contestants that can lead to their deaths.

 

[PiccoloNamek]

Quote:

Perhaps Head-Fi could have a similar contest, such as "Hold a Hornet for a Hornet" Whomever holds it longest wins.

LOL! Oh. My. God. I am rarely actually laughing out loud when I type "LOL" but this time, I seriously am. That is one of the funniest things I've seen on Head-fi in a long time. Hold a Hornet for a Hornet... hahahaha!

Anyone want to go?

 

[redshifter]

Quote:

Originally Posted by PiccoloNamek /img/forum/go_quote.gif LOL! Oh. My. God. I am rarely actually laughing out loud when I type "LOL" but this time, I seriously am. That is one of the funniest things I've seen on Head-fi in a long time. Hold a Hornet for a Hornet... hahahaha! Anyone want to go?

whatever you think of hornets, you have to admire the design.

 

[granodemostasa]

Quote:

Originally Posted by redshifter /img/forum/go_quote.gif whatever you think of hornets, you have to admire the design.

x2... btw... i hope the radio station people end up in jail. we had a similar paint ball thing on campus... where a frat nealry killed one of it's own members. last year we actually had another person die.

 

[Graphicism]

Quote:

Originally Posted by granodemostasa /img/forum/go_quote.gif i hope the radio station people end up in jail.

Looks like they will be -- Family sues Calif. radio station after woman dies

 

[plainsong]

Looking at Aman's seemingly extreme viewpoint of zero responsility to one party who throws a contest, while the other takes part and dies, therefore, taking all blame, it just doesn't compute.

If you except that she takes blame, then how can the radio station not take blame? They were taking part in this as well. In fact, it was their idea, and in fact, they recruited others to take part as well.

How can one party take all blame, and the other take none?

How far does this line of thinking go? If someone is walking out to their car at night, do they deserve to be attacked because they had it coming? If you forget to lock your windows, do you deserve to be burgled? If you go hunting, and a firearm discharges, did you have it coming? If you do anything risky, from riding a bike, to riding a horse, and somehow kill yourself, did you deserve it?

It's not so black & white.

The radio station had the time, the staff, and funds for a few minutes worth of research on teh googles. They were also warned on-air. Yet, they weren't bothered.

As the organizers and leaders of this contest, they were setting an example for the contestants. It's human nature to follow leadership, whether it be good or extremely bad.

And they did it anyway.

If she takes blame, then that's fine, but then the equation has to balance, and they take criminal blame.

 

[VR6ofpain]

Quote:

Originally Posted by warubozu /img/forum/go_quote.gif Sad indeed, it was only in 2005 that a colledge student at California State University at Chico died from hazing with drinking water.

Yup that happened the year after I graduated. You should have seen the frat house, it looked (well still does) like a total nightmare. Doors on the second floor that were covered up with plywood and painted to match the outside walls of the place. They called the basement a dungeon. The whole fricken house was a pit.

 

[EyeAmEye]

Human ignorance on both ends, but I'd have to agree, the blame lands moreso on the woman than anyone else. Someone can run any dangerously stupid contest they like, nobody's forcing morons to compete. You choose to do so, you take the risks involved as well.

Personally, I'd like to see idiot DJ's hung out to dry for their awesomely funny radio broadcasts, but I fail to see the blame here.

Ignorance is not a defense.

On second thought, everyone nowadays is a victim of something, so nobodies to blame for anything...

 

[Homeless]

I'm surprised things like this don't happen more often. Stupid little contests that seem innocent but when looked at a little closer could actually be quite dangerous.

Last year a woman died at the fair here when she choked in a contest where you had to stuff as many marshmallows into your mouth as you can and say a catch phrase. She died a few days later of complications from a severe brain injury from lack of oxygen. How many people were in similar contests to this as kids? I know I was...any you never think about it until it's too late...very sad.

 

[eyeresist]

Quote:

Originally Posted by marvin /img/forum/go_quote.gif To most people, the only way to die from overexposure to water is through drowning.

LOL

Yeah, the only water intoxication I've heard of is in connection with ecstasy - the theory is that your body stops processing the water properly, so that it floods the body and destroys the brain by pressure.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Homeless /img/forum/go_quote.gif I'm surprised things like this don't happen more often. Stupid little contests that seem innocent but when looked at a little closer could actually be quite dangerous. ...How many people were in similar contests to this as kids? I know I was...and you never think about it until it's too late...very sad.

There are lots of unusual ways to die, and those Jackass shows probably haven't helped.

Ultimately this sad event was the result of ignorance and thoughtlessness on everyone's part. Neither the contestants nor the radio people believed that drinking too much water could kill you, and until I read this story I probably would have agreed. It's easy to see inevitability in hindsight.

If the legal buck is going to stop anywhere, it should be not with the DJs but with the show's producer. The DJs have a duty of care, but ensuring safety is specifically part of a producer's job.