Jennifer Strange and The Tragic Water-Drinking Challenge

In January 2007, 28-year-old Jennifer Strange tuned into her favourite radio station KDND-FM 107.9 based out of Sacramento, California, and began rocking away to her favourite tunes.

As the radio show went on, the DJs announced an upcoming event that caused Jennifer’s ears to prick up.

**Jennifer Strange photographed with her prize.**

The event was a challenge, and the winner would win the much coveted Nintendo Wii console. Jennifer fancied her chances and believed she could win, so she called the station and entered the competition.

Days later, Jennifer received a call from KDND-FM congratulating her on being accepted as one of the lucky participants in the upcoming challenge. On January 12th, 2007, just after 6:00 AM, Jennifer arrived at the radio station along with 20 other participants.

They were briefed on the ‘Hold Your Wee for a Wee’ challenge and told they would need to chug 240 ml (8oz) bottles every 15 minutes and hold their urine for as long as possible. Whoever could hold out the longest would be declared the winner.

Prizes were also up for grabs for those who placed second and third, and the radio station was buzzing with excitement.

Participants made small talk amongst one another whilst the DJs prepped the room and began eyeing up their competition. Jennifer took a deep breath before walking into the radio room, not knowing what would come next.

Hold Your Wee For A Wii

At 6:45 AM, the DJs kicked off ‘The Morning Rave’ show, and the competition began. At first, everything seemed fine. Contestants drank bottle after bottle at 15-minute intervals, and there was no sign of trouble.

An hour into the contest, James Ybarra, one of the contestants, quit. He told the LA Times that his bladder was unable to take anymore.

Ybarra remained at the studio and noted that after he quit, the water bottles provided for the challenge had been doubled in size to 480 ml (16.8 oz). Despite this change, the contestants continued to guzzle down water.

During the morning show, a nurse called into KDND-FM to warn them of the potential side effects of drinking that much water in a short space of time. She informed them of ‘water intoxication,’ a rare but possible condition that could be triggered by the challenge.

One of the on-air DJs remarked, “Can you get water poisoning and like die?” To which another replied, “Not with water. Your body is 98 percent water, why can’t you take in as much water as you want?”

The DJs later stated they were aware of the dangers and stated the contestants had signed release forms therefore, they were not responsible for damages.

In actuality, the DJs had NOT warned Jennifer, or the other contestants about the possibility of water intoxication. Clips from the broadcast were later obtained in which one DJ said “Maybe we should have researched this before.”

**Jennifer Strange with the radio hosts.**

The competition neared the 3-hour mark and the end of the contest. It was at this time that Jennifer began complaining of pain in her stomach.

Jennifer was also heard saying that her head hurt and “They keep telling me that it’s the water. That it will tell my head to hurt and then it will make me puke.”

After 3 gruelling hours, the competition was over. Jennifer had placed 2nd and won herself tickets to see Justin Timberlake. In those 3 hours, Jennifer Strange had consumed 2 gallons, 7.6L of water, an amount that would prove to be fatal.

Death By Water

Shortly before 10:00 AM, Jennifer was shuffled out of the KDND-FM studios in what was described as a ‘bad condition’.

DJs were heard asking Jennifer on air if she was okay and asking her if she was going to pass out. She continued to complain of intense pain in her stomach and head.

She climbed into her car, grabbed her phone, and called her manager at the Radiological Associates of Sacramento.

Jennifer cried during the entire call, telling her manager that she wouldn’t be making it to work that day. She again complained of the intense pain she was in and how sick she felt.

Her manager told her to rest and take it easy, but this would be the last time anyone ever heard from Jennifer Strange.

A few hours later, Jennifer’s mother arrived at her home after Jennifer’s colleagues had contacted her as they were concerned about her earlier call. Jennifer’s mother entered the home and found it in complete silence.

She called out to her daughter, but there was no response. When she entered the bathroom, she found her daughter lying dead on the floor. 911 was called, and paramedics were summoned to the scene.

Unfortunately, there was nothing they could do to save Jennifer, and she was officially declared deceased.

Jennifer’s husband, Billy Strange, was informed of his wife’s passing and was immediately incensed by the actions of KDND-FM. He believed his wife was in safe hands that morning, only for her to die hours after the challenge.

Ed Smith, the Assistant Sacramento County Coroner, was assigned Jennifer’s case, and from the initial results, he knew that Jennifer had died due to water intoxication.

It was confirmed by the station that Jennifer had consumed 7.6 L (2 gallons) in a 3-hour period, an action that carried deadly consequences.

We all know that drinking water is good for us, a large percentage of our body is made up of water, and it helps our body to perform necessary functions to keep us fit and healthy.

Many of us don’t drink enough water, which carries its own problems, but what happens when you drink too much? Too much water in the body can overwhelm the kidneys and the ability to excrete urine.

and create When this happens, electrolytes (sodium & potassium etc), which help the body regulate different chemical reactions and balance fluids in our cells become diluted and they are no longer able to perform their duties.

When our sodium levels [an essential electrolyte] become too diluted it causes a condition known as hyponatremia which causes the brain to swell and push against the skull.

Symptoms of hyponatremia include headaches, nausea, weakness, vomiting, confusion, and muscle cramps – many symptoms that Jennifer described.

When hyponatremia takes hold of the body, it causes a loss of reflexes, seizures, and loss of consciousness and can cause people to slip into a coma or pass away.

As is the case with Jennifer. If a person with hyponatremia survives, they may develop brain swelling, osteoporosis, a brain injury, and even seizures.

The Lawsuit Begins

Jennifer’s death made headline news around California and the U.S. People were shocked by her manner of death, as it was extremely unusual. People were also outraged at KDND-FM for holding such an irresponsible competition.

In 2009, Billy Strange and Jennifer’s family filed a lawsuit against the radio station as they had refused to accept responsibility for her death.

The court case revealed that KDND-FM had known months prior to the competition that what they were doing was dangerous. They had been adequately warned about the possibility of water intoxication but decided to proceed with the competition.

The DJs remarked that the contestants had signed waivers, which meant they were not culpable for what happened.

The defense lawyer for KDND-FM tried to deflect the blame onto Jennifer, stating she must accept some responsibility for her actions as she should have known that drinking too much water could be fatal.

Billy and Jennifer’s family were outraged by these comments, retorting that Jennifer was not made aware of these risks by the radio station and was only operating with the information readily available to her.

In November 2009, the judge and jury ruled that Entercom Sacramento LLC, the company that owned KDND-FM, was liable for ‘the actions of its employees’. The judge stated the radio station had been negligent in their duty to protect contestants and warn them of the potential dangers.

As a result, at least 10 people, including the DJs who hosted the show and contest were let go from their jobs.

It was also discovered that the contest was not meant to happen in the first place. The contest had not been submitted to the radio station’s legal team and had not been officially sanctioned nor been subjected to safety checks.

Jennifer’s family was awarded $16.5 million in compensation for the wrongful death of Jennifer Strange.

Billy Strange made a statement at the trial in which he mentioned their daughter, who was just 11 months old when her mother suddenly passed away.

He addressed the court by saying, “In the brief amount of time she got to spend with Jen, the 11 months, she really picked up a lot of her qualities and her personality.” Billy told the media that adjusting to life without his beloved wife was a process, taking it one day at a time.

$16.5 million will ensure that Jennifer’s daughter, who has no memories of her mother, will be set up with a good future and be provided for. Jennifer’s death was completely preventable, and no amount of money will ever bring her back.

Billy and Jennifer’s parents hope her story will highlight the dangers of overhydration and water intoxication and prevent any more water-drinking contests in the future.