Ten Fired After Wii Radio Contest

[GJSNeptune]

How about on the way home she didn't stop at the hospital? Howcome does everyone always have to look out for others instead of being responsible for themselfs?

'Themselfs' is not a word, although Firefox's spellchecker thinks it is. To make 'self' plural, you change it to 'selves.'

Why have hospitals in the first place if we have to be responsible for ourselves? People generally go to school to receive a focused, specialized education to distinguish themselves from the average person. That's why we have schools and hospitals. The nurse that called in probably doesn't know that a CRT monitor has tens of thousands of volts running through it, but it's possible that she might get the idea to take it apart.

We could take a poll and see just how many people had no idea that too much water is fatal. What's important is that the radio station didn't protect themselves nor their contestants. Unfortunately human error tends to be the most tragic errors made.

 

[Ockie]

'Themselfs' is not a word, although Firefox's spellchecker thinks it is. To make 'self' plural, you change it to 'selves.'

WOW, you just make your argument 100% stronger by attacking my spelling on the internet

Not everyone in this world is English, please try to comprehend that there are others outside of your little world who are not so polished on the language

Why have hospitals in the first place if we have to be responsible for ourselves? People generally go to school to receive a focused, specialized education to distinguish themselves from the average person. That's why we have schools and hospitals.

You take YOURSELF to the hospital or you are assisted by medical personnel. You don't go home and figure it's "normal". Pathetic... pretty soon you are going to forget to eat and sue someone because someone didn't look over you.

Last time I checked you do not have a right to sue anyone when you sign a waiver and do something stupid... regardless if 1000 paramedics are standing by.

The nurse that called in probably doesn't know that a CRT monitor has tens of thousands of volts running through it, but it's possible that she might get the idea to take it apart.

No the nurse won’t know about CRT’s. But any common person would know not to touch circuitry, regardless if it's on or off. It's kind of like the same concept as you don’t blow dry your hair when you are in the bathtub. Also, I think the high voltage or the pain would be a good indication to stop if the nurse continued to touch a CRT monitor.

However, your argument is quite flawed as touching a CRT monitor is inherent danger to the victim... the victim might not have the option to touch it many times and bow out of the competition. When you drink or do something wrong, you will feel ill.... doesn't your senses seem to tell you to STOP??

If you walked on broken glass barefoot, do you continue or do you listen to your intuition of your mind telling you about the pain and discomfort and back off?

We could take a poll and see just how many people had no idea that too much water is fatal. What's important is that the radio station didn't protect themselves nor their contestants. Unfortunately human error tends to be the most tragic errors made.

Anything in massive quantity is fatal and I'm sure majority knows that. Stupidity is not an excuse for a suit. I'm sorry, if you sign a waiver that should automatically be a red flag that you are in a hazard situation.

The studio was wrong, but to blame them for all of this when other contestants bowed out because of a little common sense is just lame. Now if the studio made the victim drink some chemical and they assured the person that it was perfectly safe and turned out to be hazardous or poisoning to humans, then I say have a field day… but this was not the case.


I guess now all radio competitions are going to be stopped… including the hot dog eating contests, pie eating contests, contest to see who can stand outside in the cold the longest, contest to see who can run on a treadmill the longest, contests which have members see who can swim the longest, sitting on a block of ice for the longest, staying inside a bee farm the longest, etc etc etc…. see where I’m going with this?

 

[GJSNeptune]

'Themselfs' is not a word.... To make 'self' plural, you change it to 'selves.'

WOW, you just make your argument 100% stronger by attacking my spelling on the internet

If you see an attack in there, that's your problem. I'd also be happy to give you tips in person.

Last time I checked you do not have a right to sue anyone when you sign a waiver and do something stupid... regardless if 1000 paramedics are standing by.

Assuming the waiver was air-tight, which I highly doubt, considering the situation.

No the nurse won’t know about CRT’s. But any common person would know not to touch circuitry, regardless if it's on or off. It's kind of like the same concept as you don’t blow dry your hair when you are in the bathtub. Also, I think the high voltage or the pain would be a good indication to stop if the nurse continued to touch a CRT monitor.

You give a lot of credit to the average population, which is commendable. From my experiences, I don't expect them to know anything, just as one assumes that everyone else on the road can't drive.

When you drink or do something wrong, you will feel ill.... doesn't your senses seem to tell you to STOP??

If you walked on broken glass barefoot, do you continue or do you listen to your intuition of your mind telling you about the pain and discomfort and back off?

While I appreciate the time you took to contrive some analogies, I have to say they aren't effective. I don't feel ill when I drink, but after too much one might. Drinking too much alcohol is a concept more commonly known to the average person than drinking too much water.

I don't feel ill when I lie or make a wrong turn at an intersection.

Anything in massive quantity is fatal and I'm sure majority knows that. Stupidity is not an excuse for a suit. I'm sorry, if you sign a waiver that should automatically be a red flag that you are in a hazard situation.

You'd be surprised.

The studio was wrong, but to blame them for all of this when other contestants bowed out because of a little common sense is just lame. Now if the studio made the victim drink some chemical and they assured the person that it was perfectly safe and turned out to be hazardous or poisoning to humans, then I say have a field day… but this was not the case.

Everything you do comes with a waiver these days. And the station indirectly assured them that it was okay to do. In all of the excitement of competition, people tend not to think about danger, especially when they don't see any medical staff overseeing what they're doing.

I guess now all radio competitions are going to be stopped.

No, since the other stations probably know what they're doing. If they don't, they do now.

 

[Ockie]

If you see an attack in there, that's your problem. I'd also be happy to give you tips in person.

I don't need tips on a internet forum.

Assuming the waiver was air-tight, which I highly doubt, considering the situation.

You know as well as I do that no waiver is truly air tight... a piranah lawyer can eat throuh a waiver in no time.

You give a lot of credit to the average population, which is commendable. From my experiences, I don't expect them to know anything, just as one assumes that everyone else on the road can't drive.

You should not discredit your peers so much, after all, it too many humans to create the wonders of the world... not just a single person.

While I appreciate the time you took to contrive some analogies, I have to say they aren't effective. I don't feel ill when I drink, but after too much one might. Drinking too much alcohol is a concept more commonly known to the average person than drinking too much water.

I don't feel ill when I lie or make a wrong turn at an intersection.

So now this has come down to making wrong turns at intersections? Who are you going to hold liable now for not knowing better? Your parents? Your spouse? Your driving instructor? The state?

You'd be surprised.

For those few people I call it a evloution in darwinism.

Everything you do comes with a waiver these days. And the station indirectly assured them that it was okay to do. In all of the excitement of competition, people tend not to think about danger, especially when they don't see any medical staff overseeing what they're doing.

I don't get excited to put myself in harms way... so I don't know about you. I could tell you I wouldn't have even bothered to call up for the wii... you want to know why? Because just about every radio competition is insane and involves serious risks. Same reason why I never cared to be part of a fraternity, hazing, binge drinking, etc.

Since when had medical staff slowed people down? If anything they have a false sense of security.

Once you can confirm to me beyond a reasonable doubt that the womans life would have been saved by a medical team I am going to say you are just grasping around for a good argument. Most of the time a medical team is there to help you if you want to be helped or if you are in desperate need of attention. If you choose not to seek help and return home, who should be still to blame?

No, since the other stations probably know what they're doing. If they don't, they do now.

They do? No one can control what risk the person is putting themselfs in danger for, everyone has their own limits and own capacities. For instance, that Japanese guy who holds the world record of hotdogs eaten... even guys twice his size passed out by trying to eat that many dogs.... heck, I would die if I ate that many... and he's a small guy. So to discriminate against a compeditor because of your own "gut feelings" would end you up in another suit.

Basically, to ensure no lawsuit occurs, they would have to do a raffle for the prizes such as the 9th caller gets it... but then they could still be sued... damned if you do, damned if you dont.

 

[GJSNeptune]

For instance, that Japanese guy who holds the world record of hotdogs eaten... even guys twice his size passed out by trying to eat that many dogs.... heck, I would die if I ate that many... and he's a small guy. So to discriminate against a compeditor because of your own "gut feelings" would end you up in another suit.

Skinny people can eat more because they have more room for their stomachs to expand into. Larger people have fat restricting their stomachs. I don't know what would cause someone to pass out from eating hotdogs though, unless it's from the taste and knowledge of what they're made of


It isn't entirely the station's fault, but they are largely at fault. Liability will break a company, so they must exceed whatever suffices to ensure nothing happens to jeopardize the company, more importantly a person (or creatures, the environment, etc.). They might have gone with the bare minimum for the competition. Maybe the station didn't even know about water poisoning.

I bet a lot of radio contests are issued by the DJs and don't necessarily get executive approval.

 

[Scorpionjwp]

Attacking skinny people now GJSNeptune, Now I know when I eat something, I just about never gain weight or it seems not to go anywhere. I have been 104lbs for 10 years now, nothing more maybe some less, but never over 104lbs.

But when has this thread been on the attack on people?

I see it this way on the contest that ended bad:

A 28yr old mom died for a stupid contest for a Wii, she leaves 3 children w/o a mom. Someone screwed up, some people knew the risks when the contest went on, did they care no and because of their ignorance someone died.

It's bad when a medical doctor or a nurse calls into a radio station informing the people running it that may cause someone to pass out or worse- Death.

As far as I know there was no medical staff onsite while the contest was going on, very wrong on the station's part. And due to this situation of someone dying, the parent company fired 10 people along with the 3 that ran Morning Rave. The parent company had a choice to make, keep the people who was running that radio station employed and try the same type of contest again, or they may have ran the contest w/o approval.

I don't know, but once the investigations are done, we will then know the full outcome of this.

 

[GJSNeptune]

If I'm hiding hostility subliminally, please let me know. I don't see why two people have interpreted my posts as attacking people.

I'm 6'5'' and 150 pounds. I know what skinny-without-hope-to-gain-weight is.

 

[Silverghost]

What is with you guys? How can you turn a simple comment into an attack on yourself? You bite back at him over nothing.

 

[Viper87227]

Not sure if you guys are aware of this, but I learned something very interesting today. During the contest, at least one nurse, and one other person called in to warn them about the danger of water intoxication... and they just joked about it, and said people signed wavers so to bad. Rumor also has it that the person who died started to get sick and feel pain, and they pushed her on. If this is true, that they knew about the danger involved, and had a contestant getting sick that they pushed to go farther instead of giving medical attention to... they should be charged for manslaughter. They flat out killed her from their actions. My stance on this was a little different before this... and sure, she still should have known, but that is 100% irrelevant in my opinion if the radio station knew, and did nothing to aide her.

 

[Ockie]

Not sure if you guys are aware of this, but I learned something very interesting today. During the contest, at least one nurse, and one other person called in to warn them about the danger of water intoxication... and they just joked about it, and said people signed wavers so to bad. Rumor also has it that the person who died started to get sick and feel pain, and they pushed her on. If this is true, that they knew about the danger involved, and had a contestant getting sick that they pushed to go farther instead of giving medical attention to... they should be charged for manslaughter. They flat out killed her from their actions. My stance on this was a little different before this... and sure, she still should have known, but that is 100% irrelevant in my opinion if the radio station knew, and did nothing to aide her.

If they pushed her and told her not to be a sissy then I would consider this in the same lines of college binge drinking... they should be held responsible for what they did.

I'm going to wait to see the whole unraveling of the story as more seems to keep coming out.

 

[Viper87227]

If they pushed her and told her not to be a sissy then I would consider this in the same lines of college binge drinking... they should be held responsible for what they did.

I'm going to wait to see the whole unraveling of the story as more seems to keep coming out.

Some of the conversations reported to have taken place:

• DJ: "Can't you get water poisoning and, like, die?"

• DJ: "Maybe we should have researched this."

• DJ: "They'll be drinking it and they're going to have to be weeing it; one at a time, they're going to drop like flies."

• Female caller named Eva: "I want to say that, um, that those people that are drinking all that water can get sick and possibly die from water intoxication." DJ: "We're aware of that." DJ: "They signed releases, so we're not responsible. It's OK." DJ: "And if they get to the point where they have to throw up, then they're going to throw up and they're out of the contest before they die, so that's good, right?"

• DJ: "Let me ask Carter if anybody's died. Hey, Carter, is anybody dying in there?" Carter: "We got a guy who's just about to die." DJ: "Make sure he signs the release." Jennifer Strange drops out about 9:30 a.m.

• Strange: "My head hurts. They keep telling me though that it's the water, that it will tell my head to hurt and then it will make me puke. But ..." DJ: "Who told you that, the intern?" Strange: "Yeah, it hurts, but makes you feel lightheaded, so I'm not sure if I'm ... " DJ: "This is what it feels like when you're drowning. There's a lot of water inside of you."

• Strange: "Oh, it hurts."

 

[HardOCP News]

wow.


If that stuff is true, they had better file charges against those jackasses. I'll make sure I stay on top of this one and post anything that happens.

 

[Draax]

A radio DJ giving medical advice ... hmmm. I know I wouldn't take advice for toppings on my pizza, let alone medical advice, from the few radio DJs I have met.

 

[swatbat]

wow.


If that stuff is true, they had better file charges against those jackasses. I'll make sure I stay on top of this one and post anything that happens.

Yea it seems to be pretty bad. On a side note Bubba the Love sponge was saying he was going to be writting letters to try to push them getting in as much trouble as possible as he got screwed over for doing less a few years ago over normal radio.

I kinda want to see how this all turns out.

 

[Ockie]

Sounds kinda like the cocky DJ's we have here on our local radio.

 

[lopoetve]

valid lawsuit. For once. This one is completely valid.

 

[86 5.0L]

am I the only one that cant find the original story?

 

[86 5.0L]

Found it, this follow up story is actually TWO days after the original story

 

[Viper87227]

valid lawsuit. For once. This one is completely valid.

Precisly. If both parties were unaware of the danger, and it just sort of happened, then maybe there would be a bit more question of liability. However, the DJ's knew of the danger, and not only continued to contest without informing the participants, but egged them on to keep drinking when they started getting sick.

As I said before, a lawsuit isn't enough. They should be tried for manslaughter.

 

[Dan_D]

Well i the Tragic part of the Story is that the Police Department Confiscated the WII for evidence and now the kids no longer have a Mom or a Nintendo WII !

Even if the Wii was confiscated, the woman who died didn't win the Wii. Another contestant who didn't die won the Wii. Jennifer Strange (the woman who died) dropped out of the contest early because she felt bad and took Justin Timberlake tickets as a consolation prize. So she didn't win at all. Therefore I can't believe they'd confiscate something that never made it into the victims hands.

 

[Sabrewings]

While I appreciate the time you took to contrive some analogies, I have to say they aren't effective. I don't feel ill when I drink, but after too much one might. Drinking too much alcohol is a concept more commonly known to the average person than drinking too much water.

I don't feel ill when I lie or make a wrong turn at an intersection.

So, if I go out and get so drunk I'm hospitalized or dead, my family can sue the bar? Sweet, I'm going out right now...

WTF happened to responsibility for our own actions? Yes, the radio station DJs were pricks and didn't help. But, stop glorifying this poor woman. Let's get down to the level: She did something stupid without properly researching it and she paid the price. And her family will continue paying. Leave it at that.

 

[GJSNeptune]

So, if I go out and get so drunk I'm hospitalized or dead, my family can sue the bar? Sweet, I'm going out right now...

WTF happened to responsibility for our own actions? Yes, the radio station DJs were pricks and didn't help. But, stop glorifying this poor woman. Let's get down to the level: She did something stupid without properly researching it and she paid the price. And her family will continue paying. Leave it at that.

Way to beat a dead horse.

 

[Draax]

So, if I go out and get so drunk I'm hospitalized or dead, my family can sue the bar? Sweet, I'm going out right now...

WTF happened to responsibility for our own actions? Yes, the radio station DJs were pricks and didn't help. But, stop glorifying this poor woman. Let's get down to the level: She did something stupid without properly researching it and she paid the price. And her family will continue paying. Leave it at that.

Quote = fail

Alcohol impairs judgement and thus lowers ones ability to be responsible.

When one drinks too much water, amongst other things, cells start to swell. The brain swells and pushes against the skull. I would imagine this would impare ones judgement and ability to be responsible as well, or maybe it was the coma.

 

[Viper87227]

Even if the Wii was confiscated, the woman who died didn't win the Wii. Another contestant who didn't die won the Wii. Jennifer Strange (the woman who died) dropped out of the contest early because she felt bad and took Justin Timberlake tickets as a consolation prize. So she didn't win at all. Therefore I can't believe they'd confiscate something that never made it into the victims hands.

She may not have won it, but it was what she was trying to win, and ultimatly, what she died trying to win. As such, it still counts as evidence. Expecially concidering this could lead to some severe charges in court, they have to have everything covered. They have to be able to bring the console into court and say here... this is it... this is what she died trying to get... this is what the radio station was giving away.

 

[Draax]

I was under the impression that this lady came second, and won tickets to a Justin Timberlake concept .... I know it sounds like one, but its not a joke.

 

[GJSNeptune]

a Justin Timberlake concept

Heh , it's like she won tickets to attend a lecture given by Justin Timberlake detailing his top ten reasons to sing primarily in falsetto, introduction by Five For Fighting.

 

[Draax]

And this is why I hate not being able to edit my posts here

concert

 

[Dan_D]

She may not have won it, but it was what she was trying to win, and ultimatly, what she died trying to win. As such, it still counts as evidence. Expecially concidering this could lead to some severe charges in court, they have to have everything covered. They have to be able to bring the console into court and say here... this is it... this is what she died trying to get... this is what the radio station was giving away.

My point is she didn't win it. Therefore her kids wouldn't get it no matter what.

 

[Viper87227]

My point is she didn't win it. Therefore her kids wouldn't get it no matter what.

I understand that, I was merely refuting the fact that whethar she won it or not, I can understand why they had to take it for evidance. Sucks for whoever was the winner.

 

[kakarotxiv]

what's dumber? dying like that or dying trying to win a $250 wii?


1005 children died in the 3rd world. where's your sympathy for them?

 

[grimbeaver]

There is one thing that no one seems to be pointing out. The radio station already admitted wrong doing by both themselves and the employees by firing them. Letting those people go was basically entering a guilty plea.

 

[magoo]

There is one thing that no one seems to be pointing out. The radio station already admitted wrong doing by both themselves and the employees by firing them. Letting those people go was basically entering a guilty plea.

The station fired some idiots that were irresponsible.
That is not an admission of anything.
I feel sorry for the family of this lady, but, as an adult she made a decision. The fault remains hers and no one elses.
The culture of blame.........

 

[ianken]

Is anyone surprised by this? Radio stations DJs are, on the whole, retards.

They essentially embody John Gabriel's Greater Internet Fcukwad Theory and broadcast it to a wide audience during the commute.

I'm sure they were joking about this woman's death right up until ther got fired.

 

[Jonsey]

The station fired some idiots that were irresponsible.
That is not an admission of anything.
I feel sorry for the family of this lady, but, as an adult she made a decision. The fault remains hers and no one elses.
The culture of blame.........

I love these kinds of comments. People are always ready to judge the facts of the case, without even having heard the whole story. Do you realize the amount of water that woman drank? When she complained of illness, the radio station staff told her that was what it felt like to "drown," and she would probably feel to the urge to throw up soon.

The family of the deceased woman refused to be on any talk shows. That sounds like your typical lazy american family looking for publicity and wanting to sue, doesn't it?

The truth is, that when you run a business that involves the interaction of the public (like this radio station did), you need to research the dangers of anything you do, no matter how innocent it may seem.

There 300 million people in this country, and you can't expect them all to have college degrees and be educated on every danger that they should possibly avoid.

I listened to this radio station every morning, and I can tell you for a fact that this wasn't the only contest they held that wasn't a great idea. This was just the one that came back to bite them in the ass.

 

[Viper87227]

The station fired some idiots that were irresponsible.
That is not an admission of anything.
I feel sorry for the family of this lady, but, as an adult she made a decision. The fault remains hers and no one elses.
The culture of blame.........

That is stupid. She was unaware of the danger. Where is the "decision" in that. I am sure if they actually informed her of the impending danger, she may not have participated.

Also, there is still the looming fact that the DJ's knew of the danger, and knew she was getting sick, and did not help her, but instead egged her on to keep going. I still say they should be held responsible.

 

[meanmodda[H]]

Normally I would blame people for doing stupid things to themselves and they often deserve what they get.
But in this case I can't go past how she did for her kids . This will look awful during prosecution.
As for radio DJ's being complete morons ,well thats a new one for me .I always assume that radio and tv is populated by highly intellectual individuals who are clearly fully qualified to give professional advice. Otherwise why would people listen at all ?
Anyways I really feel sorry for the kids ,it sounds like she was a nice mom .

 

[Dan_D]

That is stupid. She was unaware of the danger. Where is the "decision" in that. I am sure if they actually informed her of the impending danger, she may not have participated.

Also, there is still the looming fact that the DJ's knew of the danger, and knew she was getting sick, and did not help her, but instead egged her on to keep going. I still say they should be held responsible.

Yes because in today's society we are no longer burdened with being responsible for our own actions.

 

[SPARTAN VI]

Didn't a frat boy die the same way not too long ago? He was hazed into drinking tons of water and ended up poisoning himself with too much water. I can't believe this was repeated.

I wouldn't hold any one side responsible.

 

[GJSNeptune]

I wouldn't hold any one side responsible.

So why are you responding? You speculate that someone else died of the same reason not long ago, and yet you're neutral? Are you implying that she was supposed to be in-tune with news around the country (you made no mention of where this frat brother died) and heed the warning?

We leave it to the legal system to find an outcome. What we know is that contestants partook in a dangerous radio station contest while the DJs, knowing the danger involved, brushed aside the side effects and made no effort to prevent a tragedy.

Are you a 28-year-old mother? If you died today, would you leave behind children?

Have some sympathy.

 

[LoneWolf]

Yes because in today's society we are no longer burdened with being responsible for our own actions.

I'm not sure if by this, you're referring to the radio station, or the contestant, Dan.

Either way, I think the larger responsibility lies with the radio station. I would feel that it is their obligation to inform all contestants of potential danger in any contest/giveaway they might have. One could easily argue that a radio station wouldn't presume to hold a contest that it knew could have life-threatening consequences (this has obviously been proven wrong here), and that argument could be made in court. And so people signing up could easily make that presumption that this contest might be silly, but not dangerous.

Since people don't die that often of water intoxication, it's not a well-known danger that everyone would be informed of. It sounds like the staff at the radio station wasn't, either (though I think they should have been obliged to look into possible health consequences associated with both drinking too much water and holding one's bladder). However, they became informed when one of their listeners called up and informed them, at this point putting them on the hook for their later actions.

They chose to take this warning and be blase' about it, callously stating that contestants had signed waivers and they wouldn't be responsible. It doesn't appear they showed any concern. They had no medical personnel on hand, nor does it appear that they decided to consult a health professional of hire one to be there even once this call was made and they were informed. It doesn't appear that they informed any contestants of the risks they were told of by their caller, either, though they could have made this choice and given people a chance to withdraw.

Do I believe people should be responsible for their actions? Sure I do. But I think to be responsible, you need to be informed. You could argue the contestants should have made themselves more informed, but I'd go back to point #1 --would you expect a radio station to hold a contest that might put its listeners' lives in danger? Personally, I'd expect the morning show to have at least enough common sense to ask their lawyers "Is this a good idea?" Something tells me if a single member of their legal team saw the details on this one, they'd have put the kibosh on immediately. I doubt very much this was done.