Mom Drinks a Fatal Amount of Water on Vacation

An Indiana mom on vacation with her family died in a rare case of water toxicity, when a person drinks too much water more quickly than their kidneys can clear it and their sodium levels drop, causing their cells to fill with water and swell. Ashley Summers, 35, was with her husband and two daughters at the state’s Lake Freeman over Independence Day weekend when the final day of their trip went horribly wrong, WRTV reports. On the Fourth of July, Summers’ family says, she started feeling dehydrated, lightheaded, and developed a headache. She felt like she couldn’t drink enough water, and reportedly drank about four bottles of water in about 20 minutes, her brother tells WLFI.

“I mean, an average water bottle is like 16 ounces, so that was 64 ounces that she drank in a span of 20 minutes. That’s half a gallon. That’s what you’re supposed to drink in a whole day,” he says. When the family arrived home that night, she lost consciousness in the garage, was rushed to a hospital with brain swelling, but never came to. She died two days later. Certain underlying conditions, or other factors such as alcohol consumption can increase the risk of water toxicity, People reports. “Making sure that you’re drinking things that have electrolytes and sodium and some potassium” on hot days when you’re exerting yourself is important, says one doctor. Staying in the shade and eating snacks like fruits and vegetables can also help. (Read more accidental death stories.)

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