Family of water-intoxication victim sues radio station that held contest

SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- The radio station disc jockeys who hosted an on-air water-drinking contest knew drinking too much water quickly could be fatal but dismissed the concerns with juvenile jokes, according to a wrongful death lawsuit filed Thursday by the family of a contestant.

Jennifer Lea Strange, a mother of three, died Jan. 12 hours after drinking as much as two gallons of water on KDND-FM's on-air promotion to win a video game console.

"The talent admitted during the broadcast that they should have done more research once various participants, including [Strange], began to report medical symptoms," according to the lawsuit filed in Sacramento County Superior Court.

Strange, 28, was one of about 18 contestants who tried to win a Nintendo Wii gaming console by seeing how much water they could drink without going to the bathroom.

The Sacramento-area station fired 10 employees after Strange's death.

Strange was interviewed several hours into the program, saying she looked pregnant because her belly was swollen with water and complaining that her head hurt. "This is what it feels like when you're drowning," one of the disc jockeys said.

At one point, a listener who identified herself as a nurse called in to warn the disc jockeys that the stunt could be fatal, according to an audio tape of the broadcast.

"Yeah, we're aware of that," one of them responded.

Another DJ laughed: "Yeah, they signed releases, so we're not responsible. We're OK."

The lawsuit claims that Strange never signed a liability waiver. Instead, the form merely granted the station permission to use the contest in its promotional materials, said the family's attorney, Roger Dreyer.

The radio station would not comment directly about Thursday's lawsuit, Entercom spokesman Charles Sipkins said.

"We reiterate our deepest sympathies and condolences to the Strange family, but we do not comment on pending litigation," he said.

The lawsuit seeks unspecified medical, legal, burial and funeral costs. It also seeks punitive damages for the loss of companionship for Strange's husband, William, and the children, who are 11 months, 3 and 11 years old.

Also Thursday, a spokesman for the Federal Communications Commission, said the agency has joined the investigation into Strange's death at the request of the family. The family's lawyers have asked that KDND be taken off the air.

Like most California radio stations, KDND's broadcasting license expired Dec. 1, 2005. The station's renewal application is still pending, according to FCC records. The FCC could fine the station or deny its application for renewal if it finds wrongdoing.

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Associated Press writer Aaron C. Davis also contributed to this report.