Police: Student died from 'water intoxication'

Friday, February 4, 2005 Posted: 8:21 AM EST (1321 GMT)

CHICO, California (AP) -- A California State University student died of "water intoxication" during hazing in the basement of a fraternity, authorities said Thursday.

Matthew Carrington, 21, died early Wednesday while drinking water from a five-gallon jug and doing exercises at the Chi Tau house near the Chico campus, said Chico Police Sgt. Dave Barrow.

An autopsy showed death was triggered by hyponatremia, a condition in which excess water in the body causes sodium levels in the blood to drop. Water is then absorbed into the blood and fluid builds up in the brain.

The case was still under investigation, and no decision had been made on whether to file charges.

Carrington's is the second pledge death at Chico since 2000, when an 18-year-old died of alcohol poisoning.

The university cut its ties to Chi Tau in 2002 because of "a series of increasing problems and complaints," including excessive alcohol use and loud parties, a campus spokesman said.

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What a bad way to go. You'd think that if the body could take a lot of something, it would be water. Just shows that anything in excess can't be good.

Those fraternity hazings should stick to alcahol...

hyponatremia, a condition in which excess water in the body causes sodium levels in the blood to drop....Water is then absorbed into the blood and fluid builds up in the brain.



So, its not that the excess of water killed him, its the extreme decrease in salt? Or the build up of the fluid in the brain?

Either way, it's Bizarre. I had no idea that was even possible.

Poor thing.

c-

I think it's the same amount of salt but in a much larger volume of water... so the net result is your blood starts absorbing water instead, and it goes down hill from there.

Must suck to be in that frat ...

"No more beer! You killed a guy. Stick to water!"

"OK"

I have heard of hypernatremia before, and it is well known that you have to consume a considerable amount of water before something like this can occur. What a terrible waste of life. 18 years old, new to college, and now dead...from something like this.

I feel immensly bad for the parents of the boy.

That's it.

**fills up water jug at work with beer**

The funny thing is that I'm sure that was the rationale behind this.

--PunkDavid

Poor pledges are going to be chugging Pedolite next.

I used to do video scavanger hunts, and the first thing on the list was to film the driver of your car drinking a 6 pack of jolt.

Lucky, me. I was the driver. heh.

Perhaps Jolt is safer than water

One more reason to hate the fraternity system

Blah blah. Lots of fraternities don't do physical hazing. Lots of non-frat clubs do. Blah blah.

--PunkDavid

Maybe it was like, "Fuck you, dean! You can take away our beer, but we can kill people with ANY liquid!"

Ok, I'd have a heart attack if I had that much caffiene. 1 cup of coffee and I'm loopy for hours.

I think I hear a fraternity-related story involving hyponatremia about this once a year or so, so this isn't something new.

I think this is the first time i've heard about this happening in a Frat. Although, i have heard about it happening in the army and even during high school preseason football. Players drink TOO much water, and and up dying. Apparently everything is harmful when not enjoyed in moderation.

Let's be honest here. How often to you really "enjoy" water? No matter how much you drink it, it really doesnt get better. And it's not like it's all that hot to begin with. Sort of just a benign liquid. I get more enjoyment from drinking iced tea on a hot day, and that actually dehydrates me.

Water is indeed the most sexless of the cold beverages.

That is the second time I have heard of this happening at a fraternity. What kind of pussy ass fraternity makes their pledges drink that much water? At least let them die drunk.