A 35-year-old mother died of water poisoning while on a family vacation in Monticello, Virginia, according to WRTV.
Ashley Summer was enjoying a four-day vacation at Lake Freeman with her family when she suddenly became ill on Tuesday night. Her Summer’s younger brother, Devon Miller, received an unexpected call from her other sister, Holly, who told her that Ashley had been rushed to the hospital in a “completely terrible condition.” according to to WRTV.
“She has swelling in her brain and doesn’t know what’s causing it or what she can do to bring it down, and she doesn’t look well,” Miller said.
The family reported earlier on Tuesday that Ashley felt dehydrated and unable to drink more after gushing four bottles of water in less than 20 minutes, the newspaper reported.
#FPWorld: Medical experts at the hospital have identified the cause as water toxicity, hyponatremia, a condition that results from a lack of sodium and excess water in the body.https://t.co/CxDrfdLXii
— First Post (@firstpost) August 4, 2023
Ashley passed out in her garage and was taken to IU Health Arnett Hospital. Dr. Blake Froberg, a toxicologist at IU Health, explained that Ashley drank so much water and had so little sodium in her body that she died of water poisoning. (Related: City officials urge residents to drink bottled water after chemical spill)
“Make sure you’re getting something with electrolytes, sodium and potassium,” Froberg said, the paper reported.
Ashley’s family is working to raise awareness of this unfortunate event and make people aware of the consequences of not having a healthy hydration plan.