A young woman, aged 23, has passed away following a drinking challenge during her birthday celebration at a nightclub.
María José Ardila, a mother to a 10-month-old infant, was out with friends just before turning 24. They went to a nightclub on October 25 and engaged in a series of six drinking challenges. The challenges included consuming various drinks within specific timeframes. Unfortunately, María could only complete three out of eight shots in the final challenge before collapsing.
María, from Cali, Colombia, was at a local nightclub named Sagsa when the tragic incident occurred. A cash prize was offered to the winner of the challenge, which escalated in value during the event.
After struggling to finish the drinks, María fell unconscious, leading to convulsions. Her friends tried to get her to a hospital, but they faced difficulties finding transportation. María experienced breathing difficulties for approximately 17 minutes.
Her father revealed that María suffered from aspiration pneumonia, resulting in the collapse of one of her lungs. She was rushed to a nearby hospital, where doctors had to resuscitate her multiple times due to losing consciousness.
Following three days in the ICU, María’s family made the agonizing decision to disconnect her from life support as she had suffered brain death.
Authorities from the Cali Health Secretariat highlighted the need for inspections in commercial establishments to ensure the safe sale and consumption of alcoholic beverages.
The nightclub, Sagsa Bar, expressed deep regret over the incident and extended condolences to María’s family. An investigation into María’s untimely death is currently in progress.
