A tragic incident occurred at a nightclub where a 23-year-old mother lost her life while participating in a drinking challenge to celebrate her upcoming birthday. María José Ardila, a resident of Cali, Colombia, and a mother to a 10-month-old baby, joined her friends in a series of six drinking challenges at the local Sagsa nightclub on October 25.
The challenges involved consuming various alcoholic beverages rapidly, with the final task requiring participants to drink eight shots through a straw. María struggled to complete the challenges and fell unconscious after expressing distaste for the last drink. Her friends attempted to transport her to a hospital but faced difficulties finding a taxi willing to stop.
María experienced convulsions and ultimately suffered aspiration pneumonia, leading to the collapse of one of her lungs. Despite being resuscitated multiple times at the hospital, she was declared brain dead after spending three days in the intensive care unit. The family eventually made the heartbreaking decision to remove her from life support.
Following this tragic incident, health authorities in Cali announced plans to conduct inspections at commercial establishments selling alcohol to enhance safety measures. The nightclub where the incident occurred expressed deep regret and offered condolences to María’s family, pledging full cooperation with the investigation into the circumstances surrounding her death.