US radio station ordered to pay family $22m

A RADIO station thought they came up with a novel idea for a contest. Called "Hold Your Wee for a Wii", the contest was to see which participant could drink the most without going to the toilet.

The winner would get a Nintendo Wii.

But the idea backfired horribly when one of the contestants died of water intoxication.

On Wednesday, a California court found Sacramento radio station KDND-FM and its owner liable for the death of mother-of-three Jennifer Strange, 28, in January 2007, reported BBC.

The guilty parties were ordered to pay US$16 million ($22 million) in compensation to Ms Strange's family, reported BBC.

Ms Jennifer Strange is believed to have drunk nearly 7.5 litres of water in a bid to win the game console for her children.

Contestants were given 225ml bottles of water to drink every 15 minutes without going to the toilet.

After eight rounds, contestants started drinking water out of half-litre bottles.

Ms Strange lost the contest, and a few hours later died of acute water intoxication.

Brain swelling causing death

According to the BBC report, water intoxication can occur when the normal balance of electrolytes in the body is altered by a rapid intake of water.

This can eventually cause the brain to swell, stopping it from regulating vital functions such as breathing, and eventually causing death, said BBC.

During the trial, KDND-FM and its owner, Entercom, argued that Ms Strange should have known that the contest might be dangerous.

The organisers did not face criminal charges, but 10 employees of the radio station were sacked.

After the verdict, Ms Strange's husband Billy, told reporters: "I'm very thankful and appreciative that the jurors took their time and that they held the appropriate people accountable."

Mr Roger Dreyer, the lawyer who represented the family, said the verdict will send a message to media outlets nationwide.

He told local newspaper Sacramento Bee: "I'm confident we're going to see how they administer everything across the board on contests. That's what this jury has done, more than anything."

Mr Charles Sipkins, a Los Angeles-based spokesman for Entercom, called the woman's death "a tragedy".

In an email response to the newspaper, he said: "Our hearts go out to all of her loved ones, including, in particular, her husband and children."

Juror La Teisha Paggett said the verdict should send a message that "these stations need to be more cognizant of what they're doing and they need to take the time to do the research to make sure no one's harmed".

This article was first published in The New Paper.