The Blue Corner Car Wash and restaurant in Mashamba Village, Limpopo, reopened for business on Monday, a day after their Jägermeister drinking contest ended abruptly — in death.
Jägermeister drinking contest ends in death for this Limpopo contestant
The popular hangout spot hosts weekly drinking contests, and on Sunday, partygoers were challenged to down a bottle of Jägermeister for a chance to win a R200 cash prize.
One participant, a man reportedly aged 23, stepped up to the challenge, completely oblivious to the potential dangers linked to this level of excessive drinking. In the video clip below, the partygoer can be seen guzzling the entire bottle of Jägermeister, much to the observers’ cheers.
In a statement to News24, Limpopo police spokesperson Brigadier Motlafela Mojapelo confirmed the guzzler collapsed immediately after emptying the bottle.
Mortified by the sudden turn of events, organisers of the drinking contest contacted emergency medical officials, and the man, according to Brig Mojapelo, “was taken to the local clinic where he was certified dead.”
Investigations are well underway to determine what happened to the victim, and a toxicology report from the Department of Forensics should offer clarity on what exactly caused the death of the partygoer and, perhaps, if any culpability should be brought against the organisers of the contest.
Can you die from drinking an entire bottle of alcohol?
One of the possible reasons behind the Limpopo man’s death by Jägermeister could be alcohol poisoning. According to Alcohol.org.nz, alcohol poisoning is caused by “drinking too much within a short period of time.”
“When you are drinking a lot, your liver cannot keep up with processing the toxins in alcohol. At this point, the alcohol will stay inside. This will keep adding up the more you drink within that space of time. Your body will be forced into ‘shutdown’ mode,” the anti-alcohol organisation notes.
In the case of the Jäger blunder, medical examiners may have to consider the state of the victim’s health at the time of the incident. Another important factor to consider will be if he had any pre-existing medical condition that may have exacerbated the situation.
Thus far, the establishment that held the drinking contest has not been held liable for the man’s death.