We know of death by chocolate as a humorously-named dessert. But death by hot sauce? That may be for real.
Andrew Lee, 33, of Great Britain, passed away in his sleep after partaking in a spicy sauce-eating competition. The forklift driver and aspiring chef challenged his girlfriend's brother to see who could create and then eat the spiciest hot sauce. He arrived at his girlfriend's apartment with a jar of sauce made with red chiles that had been grown by his father just for the occasion.
Lee suffered an intense bout of itchiness, and after girlfriend Samantha Bailey was unable to revive him later that night, she called an ambulance. Lee was pronounced dead at the scene.
This is the first known case where voluntarily consuming spicy chiles may have caused a fatality. Lee was reportedly in excellent health, having recently passed a medical examination. Investigators say it is possible, however, that he may have suffered a heart attack. They are also conducting toxicology tests to find out whether he suffered a reaction to the spicy food.
Have you ever engaged in or witnessed a hot sauce-eating competition? If so, does this news change the way you look view them?
