Young mum di£s of alcohol poisoning after taking on six drinking challenges on her birthday
Published on November 5, 2025 at 5:30 PM by Edgar Naitha
COLOMBIA – A 23-year-old mother, María José Ardila, tragically died after taking part in a drinking challenge at a nightclub in Cali, Colombia.
She had gone out to celebrate her upcoming 24th birthday and was preparing to move to the United States to join her husband.
During the celebration at Sagsa nightclub, María and her friends competed in six intense drinking challenges for a cash prize.
The final challenge required her to drink eight shots through a straw, but she only managed three before collapsing.
Witnesses said she complained the last drink “tasted horrible” before losing consciousness.
Her friends tried to get her to a hospital, but taxis reportedly refused to take her as she began convulsing.
She spent about 17 minutes unable to breathe before eventually reaching medical care.
Doctors resuscitated her three times, but she was declared brain dead after suffering aspiration pneumonia and lung collapse.
Her devastated family decided to remove her from life support after three days in intensive care.
Authorities have launched an investigation, and the nightclub expressed condolences while pledging full cooperation.
