Jennifer Strange had taken part in the “Hold Your Wee for a Wii” game run by KDND 107.9 radio in Sacramento, which promised the winner a Nintendo Wii.
A work colleague said Ms Strange had reported her head was hurting hours after the contest and was going home.
Ms Strange, 28, was found dead on Friday at her house in Rancho Cordova.
Health warning
Local assistant coroner Ed Smith said initial tests showed death was “consistent with water intoxication”.
Contestants were first given eight ounce (225 millilitre) bottles to drink every 15 minutes.
Contestant James Ybarra told Associated Press news agency: “They told us if you don’t feel like you can do this, don’t put your health at risk.”
Mr Ybarra said he quit after five bottles but remaining contestants started on larger bottles.
“She was telling me about her family and her three kids and how she was doing it for her kids,” Mr Ybarra said.
One of Ms Strange’s work colleagues, Laura Rios, said: “She said to one of our supervisors that she was on her way home and her head was hurting her real bad.
“She was crying and that was the last that anyone had heard from her.”
The station said its staff were stunned at the death.
>the radio station is going to pay big bucks..one way or another. to save face, they'll settle out of court…in the millions. if not, a public outcry will develop and they can't take the chance of losing advertisers on the radio. that's THEIR bread & butter.
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>We just bought a Wii. I payed for it the old fashioned way…WITH CASH.
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>that Wii is something else. it's like getting your aerobics and video game on at the same time.unfortunately for me, i'm too old school…i'm still playing atari!okay, okay..i'm cheap! ;-P
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>Saadia, you were fortunate, but this poor woman apparently was just up for the challenge or so pressured for her kids to have the "latest thing" that she partook in a foolish act. She was an adult but the need to keep up with the Joneses is alive and well.I am surprised if the station didn't have a waiver for the participants. This is a very serious and not uncommon ailment. It's called hyponatremia and is basically over-hydration. There was a police officer here that died last summer while participating in bike training. He had consumed something like 4 gallons of water in a very short period of time that resulted in his death.Runners are often warned of this especially of those partcipating in marathons, etc.Sad way to go.
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