Competitive-eating events are popular all around the globe. India has the fiery chilly eating contest and the parantha challenge while other countries regularly host the burger challenge and the hot-dog eating contest. But sometimes, the fun gives way to tragedy when contestants face medical issues.
According to CNN, on January 26, the Beach House Hotel in Hervey Bay (Queensland, Australia) hosted a lamington and pie eating competition to celebrate Australia Day. One of the participants, a 60-year-old woman had a seizure and choked while eating.
Subsequently, the staff at the event performed CPR and called the paramedics. She was taken to the Hervey Bay Hospital where she lost her life. Police officials revealed that the death did not seem suspicious.
NDTV reports that the lamington is Australia’s national cake. The traditional dessert is made of cube-shaped sponge cakes dipped in molten chocolate and covered in coconut shavings.
Later, the hotel management shared this condolence message on their official Facebook page.
Earlier, a 41-year-old man choked to death at a taco-eating contest at a minor league baseball game in Fresno, California. Reports suggested that he was gobbling them too fast without chewing the food.
Competitive-eating events are super fun but contestants must undergo proper training and familiarize themselves with the risks and medical dangers before participating.