Ashley Summers, a 35-year-old, lost her life due to water toxicity after consuming an excessive amount of water on a hot day.
The incident occurred during a Fourth of July weekend getaway with her husband and two daughters at Lake Freeman near Monticello, Indiana.
They stayed there over the weekend, from Saturday through Tuesday when the unfortunate event took place.
During their trip, the weather on the last day was particularly hot, with temperatures exceeding 90 degrees Fahrenheit (over 30 degrees Celsius).
As her family later revealed, Ashley left feeling dehydrated, so she consumed four bottles of water, nearly two liters, in around 20 minutes.
Soon after, Ashley began experiencing lightheadedness and a headache.
Upon returning home, she passed out in her garage, prompting her family to immediately take her to IU Health Arnett Hospital in Lafayette, Indiana.
As a result, sadly, she never regained consciousness.
After being taken to University Health Arnett Hospital, doctors diagnosed her with water toxicity, a condition that arises when there is an excessive amount of water in the body and not enough sodium.
Sadly, Ms. Summers passed away due to drinking too much water in a short period.
Upon learning about his sister's condition, her brother, Devon Miller, was in disbelief.
He then told WLFITV: "She loved being on the water. She loved being on the lake. [Then] 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."
He continued: "Someone said she drank four bottles of water in 20 minutes. 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."
The grieving brother expressed that the news came as saddening to the entire family.
Water intoxication, also known as water poisoning, can be caused by excessive water consumption. In rare instances, it can be fatal as it disrupts the body's electrolyte balance, particularly if someone drinks large amounts of water without getting enough electrolytes from food.
Although the occurrence is rare, it can prove fatal if an individual consumes extreme quantities of water. This can happen during water-drinking contests or during long periods of intense exercise
