Indiana mom Ashley Summers, 35, dies from WATER toxicity - after guzzling four 16oz bottles in 20 mi

A mother-of-two in Indiana died after guzzling roughly 64 ounces of water in just 20 minutes. 

Ashley Summers, 35, died from water toxicity shortly after spending a leisurely day at Lake Freeman over the long fourth of July weekend. 

On the last day of her trip, she had felt lightheaded and had a headache, symptoms of dehydration, but no amount of water could satiate her thirst. She drank the equivalent of four 16oz (500ml) bottles.

When Ms Summers returned home, she collapsed in her garage, having suffered severe brain swelling. She never regained consciousness. 

At the hospital, doctors diagnosed her with water toxicity, also called hyponatremia, which develops as a result of there being too much water in the body and not enough sodium.

Ashley Summers, 35, was a daycare worker and mother of two. She passed away soon after the July 4th holiday from water toxicity or hyponatremia

Ms Summers loved being on the water. On the last day of their trip, she complained of feeling dehydrated with a headache and lightheadedness

Hyponatremia is characterized by insufficient levels of sodium in the body, an essential electrolyte that helps to regulate the delicate balance of fluids in cells as well as maintain proper nerve and muscle function. Drinking too much water dilutes concentrations of sodium in the blood

When Devon Miller, Ms Summers' brother, heard of his sister's condition, he was in disbelief.  He said: 'It was a big shock to us all. I was just like, this is a thing?'

Mr Miller added: 'She just felt like she couldn't get enough water... When they left the sand bar to when they got to the dock, it was about a 20 minute boat ride ... she drank four bottles of water in that 20 minutes.'

READ MORE: How CAN you die from taking on too much water? 

Also known as water intoxication, hyponatraemia develops as a result of excess water and can cause swelling on the brain. 

The Summers family visited Lake Freeman, a popular summer destination located about 80 miles north of Indianapolis, on a weekend holiday boat excursion. According to her brother, Ashley 'loved being on the water'. 

The family had been vacationing at the spot from Saturday, July 1, through Tuesday, July 4. 

It was on Tuesday morning that Ms Summers' family said she was feeling dehydrated and could not drink enough water to quench her thirst. 

On Tuesday evening, Mr Miller got a disturbing call about Ashley from his other sister. She had collapsed in her garage and was taken to the Indiana University Health Arnett Hospital. 

He said: '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"'. 

Ms Summers never regained consciousness and doctors diagnosed her with water poisoning, or hyponatraemia.

The condition occurs when someone swigs an excessive amount of water in a narrow window of time, which overwhelms the ability of the body's complex organ systems, primarily the kidneys, to regulate the balance of fluids. 

The ultimate goal is to strike an equilibrium between water and electrolytes such as sodium, potassium, and chloride, which ensures proper cell function. 

Sodium is particularly crucial for its ability to maintain communication between cells via electrical impulses. 

Sodium also aids in the absorption of nutrients in the digestive system and the kidneys, which adjusts the amount of water and electrolytes reabsorbed into the bloodstream or excreted through urine.  

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