An Indiana mother of two collapsed and died after drinking too much water too quickly, a rare case of “water toxicity.”
Ashley Summers, 35, was on vacation with her husband and two daughters at Lake Freeman over the Fourth of July weekend when she began to feel dehydrated. She told her family that she felt like she couldn’t drink enough water, was lightheaded, and had a headache.
According to a family member, Summers drank four bottles of water in 20 minutes. She returned home but passed out in her garage, and her husband, Cody, performed CPR.
Summers was taken to Health Arnett Hospital, and she never regained consciousness.
Doctors informed the family that Summers died from water toxicity due to drinking too much water too quickly.
“It was a shock to all of us,” Summers’ sister, Devon Miller, told WRTV. “When they first started talking about water toxicity. It was like, this is a thing?”
Symptoms of water toxicity include a general feeling of being unwell and experiencing muscle cramps, soreness, nausea, and headaches. Dr. Blake Froberg, a toxicologist with the hospital, told the outlet water toxicity is more likely to occur during the summer months. He advises that someone who works outside or exercises frequently have a hydration plan in place.
“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,” he said.
Dr. Froberg said drinking things with electrolytes, sodium, and potassium is essential.
According to her family, Summers was an organ donor and was able to donate her heart, liver, lungs, kidneys, and some of her long bone tissue. Five other lives were saved thanks to Summers’ donor status.
