(Updated) “They signed releases so we’re not responsible.”
So said one of the DJs in the water intoxication death in the face of a warning, according to a news story.
During the contest, a listener – self-identified as a nurse – called the live radio broadcast and warned that the game was dangerous.
“I want to say that those people drinking all that water can get sick and die from water intoxication,” said the caller.
“Yeah, we’re aware of that,” replied a DJ. “They signed releases so we’re not responsible, okay?”
[Fellow contestant] Logsdon tells KOVR-TV news that they didn’t hear that on-air warning in the room where he and the others were filling up way beyond comfort.
Ten employees, including the morning show DJs, have been fired. NYT’s Lede has more. The TV station has frankly chilling audio. And the Sacramento Bee has even more.
Update: Just came across a cached version of the morning show’s website (Download wiiwinner.pdf) that indicates this:
Hold Your Wee for a Nintendo Wii!
Congrats to Lucy Davidson! She drank a gallon and half of water and held her wee for 3 hours to win the Nintendo Wii!!
pictures coming!
The station’s website is quickly losing all references to the morning show, though their blog is still up, though old. The DJs issued a statement via a MySpace page:
At this time we would like to express our deepest condolences to the family of Jennifer Strange. We want to thank all of our listners for their continued support…and we ask, that you join us by keeping Jennifer and her family in your thoughts and prayers. Lukas, Maney, and Trish
My inclination is that this is more of a management issue than a DJ issue, notwithstanding the idiotic “we have a release so we’re not responsible” line, but it surely is a management issue worthy of at least civil suit.
By an odd coincidence, the final exam I just finished graded happened to have an injury caused by a wacky morning show DJ throwing a football in the studio, and part of what I was looking for was a respondeat superior argument (and a direct negligence claim) that wacky morning show DJs are supposed to do stupid things, and the management is supposed to pay attention to such things.