MONTICELLO, INDIANA: A mother-of-two tragically died during a family day out after consuming four water bottles in just 20 minutes. Ashley Summers, 35, is thought to have downed 64 ounces while fighting the oppressive heat and her ravenous thirst.
The Indiana-based family had been touring Lake Freeman, located about 80 miles north of Indianapolis, over the Fourth of July weekend last month. On the final day of their trip, however, Ashley started complaining of a headache and other signs of dehydration, like feeling lightheaded. The mother reportedly drank four 500ml bottles of water because she couldn't seem to get enough to quench her thirst, as reported by Sun.
64 ounces she drank in a span of 20 minutes
Devon Miller, her brother, told WRTV, "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."
After that, Ashley went back home with her husband and two young daughters before passing out in the garage. She had severe brain swelling when she was taken to Indiana University Health Arnett Hospital, but she tragically never recovered consciousness. Devon explained, "My sister, Holly, called me, and she was just an absolute wreck. She was like 'Ashley is in the hospital. She has brain swelling, they don't know what's causing it, they don't know what they can do to get it to go down, and it's not looking good.'"
Doctors determined that the mother had water toxicity, also known as hyponatremia, which is brought on by low blood salt levels. It can happen when a large amount of water is consumed quickly, diluting the sodium levels in the body. This exceeds the capacity of the body's intricate organ systems, particularly the kidneys, to control the fluid balance.
Muscle cramps, soreness, nausea, vomiting, headaches, and general malaise are among the symptoms. In severe cases, the brain may swell, which may cause coma, death, seizures, confusion, and a loss of consciousness. Her heartbroken brother continued, "It was a big shock to us all. I was just like, this is a thing? She just felt like she couldn't get enough water." He added, "When they left the sand bar to when they got to the dock, it was about a 20-minute boat ride.She drank four bottles of water in that 20 minutes."
'There are certain things that can make someone more at risk for it'
According to toxicologist Dr Blake Froberg, cases of water toxicity are more prevalent in the summer. He claimed that people who frequently work outside or exercise have a higher risk of developing the fatal illness. Dr Froberg said, "There are certain things that can make someone more at risk for it, but the overall thing that happens is that you have too much water and not enough sodium in your body."
To balance their bodies, the expert advised people to drink electrolyte-rich liquids that also contain sodium and potassium. Because Ashley was an organ donor, her heart, liver, kidneys, and some of the long bone tissue she donated helped save the lives of five other people.
