Fox News reported that a California prisoner died after drinking too much water.
Officials reported that a 26-year old man was being held in an Alameda County facility. He was then assigned to the Santa Rita Jail’s Restrictive Housing Unit “due to his extensive assaultive past on staff”.
According to reports, the man was also the only prisoner in his cell.
The inmate who was admitted to the jail in March of 2023, for reasons that were not disclosed, died on April 27th, 2023. According to an Alameda County Sheriff’s Office representative, Fox 2 San Francisco reported that the inmate had been seen drinking “a profusion of water” on the morning of his death before vomiting.
When a deputy checked on the man, at 3:25 pm, he wasn’t responding. The paramedics were unable to revive the man and at 4:05 pm, he was declared deceased.
Prisoner said he used a controlled substance a day before his arrest in the previous month. However, it was found that drug use by the inmate was not deemed an issue at the time he was booked into jail.
The Alameda County Sheriff’s Office stated that despite his drug use, no reason for concern was found during the medical intake and mental health process.
The Alameda County Coroner’s Bureau investigates the cause of death.
According to the National Library of Medicine, excessive drinking of water may cause death from “water intoxication,” a condition that causes electrolyte imbalance and a rapid drop in serum sodium.
In 2007, a woman who died from water intoxication after winning a contest on a Californian radio station became a famous case. Radio station hosted a water drinking event to give away a Nintendo Wii gaming system. Participants were given 8-ounce bottles of water to drink every fifteen minutes.
Un co-worker said that the woman complained of headaches after the contest. The woman never appeared again. Jennifer Strange died at her house in a few days, from symptoms “consistent” with water intoxication.
Water intoxication is characterized by confusion, nausea and vomiting.
