Hiker's unexplained death exposes deadly alcohol withdrawal risk many don't recognize
A hiker who died near a popular backcountry destination in California's Ventana Wilderness suffered a probable seizure caused by alcohol withdrawal, according to the Monterey County Sheriff's Office.
Joanna Ruth Shields, 37, was found unresponsive in the water along the river near Sykes Hot Springs, a well-known stopover on the Pine Ridge Trail in the Big Sur backcountry. Friends who were hiking with her said she had gone to the river that morning, and one of them discovered her a short time later. She could not be revived.
Early speculation raised the possibility of foul play, but the sheriff's office said forensic and coroner findings pointed to a medical cause. The official determination was probable alcohol withdrawal seizures stemming from chronic alcohol use disorder.
"This is a probable seizure that occurred as a result of chronic alcohol use disorder, but there was nothing that stood out that indicated any type of criminal activity," said Andres Rosas, commander and primary public information officer for the Monterey County Sheriff's Office, in comments reported by KSBW 8.
With the investigation complete, the sheriff's office said no further inquiry is planned.
Shields' death has drawn attention to a hazard that can accompany severe alcohol dependence and is often misunderstood. Alcohol slows activity in the central nervous system. With prolonged heavy drinking, the brain compensates by increasing the intensity of its own chemical signals to keep essential functions running. When alcohol is suddenly removed, that built-up excitation has nothing to hold it back, and the nervous system can become dangerously overstimulated.
That overstimulation produces alcohol withdrawal, which the National Institutes of Health organizes into a progression of stages. Early symptoms typically appear within six to 24 hours of the last drink and can include insomnia, tremors, anxiety, nausea, sweating, headache, heart palpitations and elevated blood pressure. Some people go on to experience hallucinations or, more severely, seizures marked by sudden loss of consciousness and intense muscle contractions. The most serious form, delirium tremens, involves extreme agitation, fever, racing heart, overheating and cardiovascular instability, and is considered a medical emergency.
The risk of seizures tends to peak between 24 and 48 hours after drinking stops. In remote settings, a sudden seizure can be especially dangerous because a person may lose consciousness, suffer trauma, stop breathing or be unable to reach help in time. Federal health agencies urge anyone with a history of heavy drinking or previous withdrawal episodes to avoid attempting detox alone, particularly in isolated locations, and to seek medically supervised programs that use medication to gradually calm the brain and reduce seizure risk.
Help is available through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's National Helpline, which offers free, confidential treatment referrals 24 hours a day at 1-800-662-4357.