Most definitely! It's called ‘water intoxication’. Unfortunately, many people don't know this. Sure, nearly everyone knows that a person can drown if they’re underwater too long without air. They see it in movies and on TV shows all the time (although the ‘hero’ can usually last longer underwater than the villain). Yet it seems weird that one could actually die by ingesting something as vital to life as water.
In 2007, a California radio station held a contest where the contestants had to drink as much water as they could without going to the bathroom. It was called "hold your wee for a Wii" (a Nintendo game station). They young DJ’s who promoted it never thought someone could die from drinking water (they failed to do any “homework” on the subject). Unfortunately, a 28-year old female contestant died as a result of their contest (hyponatremia). “Water intoxication occurs when the body's sodium level falls below normal. Overdrinking dilutes the sodium in the bloodstream, causing the brain to swell and push against the skull. Symptoms include nausea, vomiting, weakness and, in severe cases, seizures, coma and death.” Although the DJ’s who held the contest were fired, and within a few months the entire station went out of business, it was of little consequence to the woman’s family.
The human body needs water to survive. Yet, as with everything else, moderation is the key. The body will usually tell a person when it’s satiated. If one tried to drink a gallon of water at one time, the body would usually (but not always) show some signs of distress – pain, distended abdomen, inability to swallow, and such. Not paying attention to these signs isn’t wise. Unfortunately, many people lack one very vital trait that would help then in situations like this - common sense … but I won’t go into that here.
JakobA the unAmerican. 