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“What Madness!”: 23YO Mom’s Birthday Celebration Goes Horribly Wrong After Fatal Nightclub Challenge
What was meant to be a night of celebration turned into tragedy for 23-year-old María José Ardila, a young mother from Cali, Colombia.
During a birthday party with friends, María reportedly took on a drinking challenge that offered a cash prize of 2 million Colombian pesos (about $500). Within minutes, the challenge spiraled out of control, leaving Maria seriously injured. She was taken off of life support a few days later.
Highlights
- 23-year-old María José Ardila collapsed and passed away after participating in a drinking challenge during her birthday celebration in Cali, Colombia.
- Videos showed her drinking several rounds of a**ohol to win a cash prize of 2 million Colombian pesos (US$500).
- The incident has sparked debates over drinking contests and bar accountability.
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Maria participated in a drinking challenge that went way too far
Image credits: UniMundo/Facebook
According to a report from The Universal Online, María, an agro-industrial engineering student, was invited to compete in a timed contest at Sagsa Bar.
Participants of the drinking challenge are asked to drink several types of a**ohol in rapid succession.
Image credits: AJPalacios6
Participants who successfully complete the challenge are given a 1.5 million Colombian pesos (about US$400) prize. But in Maria’s case, the prize was reportedly raised to 2 million Colombian pesos (about US$500).
Footage shared online showed the young mom sitting on the floor while another person poured liquor straight into her mouth, followed by more shots and other drinks.
Image credits: AJPalacios6
At one point, Maria could be heard complaining about the drinks, saying, “It tastes disgusting.”
According to local media, María completed multiple rounds, including beer and brandy challenges, before she took on the final challenge: downing eight different shots with a straw.
Image credits: AJPalacios6
After completing the sixth challenge, Maria reportedly fainted and vomited. She also stopped breathing.
In a panic, Maria’s friends carried her outside the club and tried to flag down help, but several drivers reportedly refused to stop, assuming she was simply intoxicated.
Image credits: UVtelevision
By the time María arrived at the hospital, doctors said she no longer showed vital signs. They performed several resuscitation attempts, but her brain had already suffered severe oxygen loss.
She stayed in the intensive care unit for five days before her family made the call, and she was disconnected from life support.
Image credits: carl_ville
Maria leaves behind a 10-month-old baby and a husband who reportedly resides in the United States.
Maria’s family is seeking answers and accountability over her passing
Image credits: villa_villal
María’s father, Andrés Ardila, told local media that his daughter “accepted the challenge to help a friend who needed money.”
He also suspected that her drink might have been spiked, which could explain the horrible taste Maria complained about before she collapsed.
Image credits: AJPalacios6
He accused Sagsa Bar of negligence, saying the establishment lacked paramedics or an ambulance on site despite the evidently dangerous drinking challenge, according to The Sun. He claimed that the bar’s staff failed to help Maria immediately as well.
“No one attended to her,” he said. “Her friends had to take her outside to look for help while drivers refused to stop, thinking she was just drunk.”
Image credits: AJPalacios6
Sagsa Bar, for its part, expressed its condolences to Maria’s family. The establishment also stated that it would cooperate with authorities.
“We express our solidarity, support, and solidarity with the family during this difficult time and reaffirm our willingness to provide all necessary support and cooperation from whatever position we are in,” the establishment noted.
Image credits: juliorramirezr1
The Attorney General’s Office later confirmed that a prosecutor from the Cali Life Unit had taken over the case. Toxicology tests had been ordered to determine if the a**ohol María had consumed was indeed spiked.
Maria’s tragic case has sparked a national debate on nightclubs’ drinking challenges
Image credits: CharlieCamposO
News of María’s passing quickly spread across Colombia and social media, where videos of the challenge circulated widely.
Many netizens expressed outrage over the dangers of viral drinking contests, urging stricter oversight in nightclubs. “The mere fact that there are people present insisting on it means the law applies to them. It’s a c**me, and those present must pay,” one commenter wrote.
Image credits: UniMundo/Facebook
Others, however, put the blame on the 23-year-old for participating in the challenge. “Parents, get your act together and raise your children well, give them a good upbringing. What a shame, truly a shame,” another wrote.
Manuel Pineda, president of the Valle del Cauca Bar Association, called for the end of drinking challenges in bars and nightclubs. He stated that the practice should be halted before another tragedy occurs.
ATENCIÓN | Hace pocos minutos se confirmó la muerte de María José Ardila, una joven caleña de 23 años que había sido hospitalizada en una clínica de la ciudad luego de participar en un reto de consumo de alcohol durante una fiesta en una discoteca. pic.twitter.com/oSc8oc1rrP
— AJPalacios (@AJPalacios6) October 31, 2025
Local officials echoed the sentiment, emphasizing that entertainment venues have a duty to ensure customer safety.
Netizens shared their thoughts about Maria’s tragic fate on social media
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What do you think ?
ॐBoyGanesh 1 month ago (edited)
A pint at the pub with good convo. A nice glass of wine with a great meal. These make sense to me. Going out specifically to drink just seems foreign. Maybe I’m missing something, but I hate the feeling of being intoxicated almost as much as I hate having to deal with a drunk. Sure, there’s a whole side of drinking that has to do with predisposition and/or addíctionn issues. I get that. I get how it ties into self-medicating, specifically when there is lack of access or availability to properly medicate. Alcohol issues/addíction aside, why would someone want to celebrate & seek joy from getting sloppy drunk? I’m not being sarcastic or judgmental. I genuinely don’t get it.
KatSaidWhat 1 month ago
I like the feeling of being drunk. Unfortunately in public I can be a sloppy drunk so I now only do so at home. I also substitute booze with ketamine which I have a much better handle on weirdly - can feel drunk without being a liability. And also weirdly, I get hyperactive on it and have been known to dance for hours, or clean the whole house on it, lol. Not advocating K use, just saying that for me personally it's a better option than public drunk me.
Load More Replies... ॐBoyGanesh 1 month ago (edited)
A pint at the pub with good convo. A nice glass of wine with a great meal. These make sense to me. Going out specifically to drink just seems foreign. Maybe I’m missing something, but I hate the feeling of being intoxicated almost as much as I hate having to deal with a drunk. Sure, there’s a whole side of drinking that has to do with predisposition and/or addíctionn issues. I get that. I get how it ties into self-medicating, specifically when there is lack of access or availability to properly medicate. Alcohol issues/addíction aside, why would someone want to celebrate & seek joy from getting sloppy drunk? I’m not being sarcastic or judgmental. I genuinely don’t get it.
KatSaidWhat 1 month ago
I like the feeling of being drunk. Unfortunately in public I can be a sloppy drunk so I now only do so at home. I also substitute booze with ketamine which I have a much better handle on weirdly - can feel drunk without being a liability. And also weirdly, I get hyperactive on it and have been known to dance for hours, or clean the whole house on it, lol. Not advocating K use, just saying that for me personally it's a better option than public drunk me.
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