A young mother, aged 23, has passed away following a drinking challenge she participated in while celebrating her birthday at a nightclub.
María José Ardila, a mother to a 10-month-old baby, was out with friends just before turning 24. The group dined together before heading to a nightclub on October 25, where they engaged in a series of six alcohol challenges. These challenges included consuming liquor shots, downing shots in a short time, drinking beer continuously, and more. The group was vying for a prize of £296 (COP 1.5m), which later increased to £395 (COP 2m).
María, hailing from Cali, Colombia, was at a local nightclub named Sagsa when the tragic incident occurred. During the final challenge, she struggled to finish all eight shots and soon collapsed, experiencing convulsions. Despite efforts from friends to get her to a hospital, no cars stopped to help. María eventually had difficulty breathing and suffered from aspiration pneumonia, leading to the collapse of one of her lungs.
Her father, Andrés Ardila, shared the heartbreaking account of seeing his daughter revive three times after losing consciousness. María was hospitalized in critical condition for three days, but her family ultimately had to make the difficult decision to disconnect life support due to brain death.
Authorities from the Cali Health Secretariat expressed their awareness of the incident and announced forthcoming inspection measures at alcohol-selling establishments to enhance safety protocols. The nightclub, Sagsa Bar, extended their condolences to María’s family and pledged full cooperation in the aftermath of the tragic event.
An investigation into María’s untimely death is currently underway.