Brother's panicked call as mum of two dies after drinking too much water

04 August 2023 , 15:23

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Ashley Summers, 35 and a mom of two, has died after drinking too much water (Image: Ashley Summers / Facebook)

A mum-of-two sadly died after drinking too much water on a scorching hot day - leaving her family devastated.

Ashley Summers, 35, had been enjoying day out at Lake Freeman near Monticello, Indiana, with her husband and two kids while they enjoyed the Fourth of July weekend.

But she sadly died on the last day of their trip as temperatures reached up to 90 degrees Fahrenheit and she gulped down four bottles of water, nearly two litres in 20 minutes.

After feeling lightheaded and suffering a headache, she passed out back home and was rushed to Arnett Hospital in Lafayette, Indiana, where she never regained consciousness.

Ashley passed out in her garage and never regained consciousness (Ashley Summers / Facebook)

Now her brother has recounted the moment he received a horror call from his sibling warning him that Ashley had fallen unwell.

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Devon Miller told WRTV : "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.

"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."

Devastated, the grieving brother continued: "It was a shock to all of us. When they first started talking about water toxicity. It was like this is a thing?"

She was married with two daughters and spent a day out in a lake before she died (Ashley Summers / Facebook)

Water intoxication, also called water poisoning can occur if someone drinks too much water. In rare cases, it can be fatal as it interferes with the balance of electrolytes in the body, especially if someone drinks lots of water without getting enough electrolytes from food.

Although the occurrence is rare, it can be fatal in case a person drinks extreme amounts of water, such as during water-drinking contests or during long periods of intense exercise. Sometimes, it can also happen as a form of torture.

Water is generally safe, but too much of it in a short time can be harmful. Excessive body water can also be caused by certain medical conditions. Drinking a very large amount of water quickly has even cause deaths in humans.

Her family rushed her to the hospital but unfortunately, she didn't make it (Ashley Summers / Facebook)

Dr Blake Froberg, a toxicologist with IU Health Arnett Hospital suggested that, to avoid intoxication by water, one should have a hydration plan "making sure that you’re drinking things that have electrolytes and sodium and some potassium." Symptoms of water toxicity include feeling generally unwell as well as having muscle cramps, soreness, nausea and headaches.

Ashley was an organ donor and was able to donate her heart, liver, lungs, kidneys and some of her long bone tissue, ultimately saving five other lives, her family said. A Venmo account was set up for her children as well as to help pay for medical bills. For donations, the username is @Cody-Summers-16.

Vassia Barba