RM13 Million Given to This Student Who Drank His Urine to Survive
Daniel Chong drank his urine to stay alive, tried to carve a message to his mother on his arm and hallucinated during the 4 days that he was locked and forgotten in DEA cell.
By Sadho Ram — 31 Jul 2013, 05:54 PM — Updated over 11 years ago
Student Daniel Chong was forgotten in DEA cell for 4 days. He settled a $4.1 million suit
A University of California San Diego student abandoned in a DEA holding cell for four days, without food or water, settled a lawsuit against the Justice Department on Tuesday for $4.1 million.
gawker.com
He was detained in the morning of April 21, 2012 after DEA agents raided a house he was visiting
Daniel Chong, now 25, was detained the morning of April 21, 2012 after DEA agents raided a house he was visiting, seizing some 18,000 pills of ecstasy, along with other drugs, several guns, and thousands of rounds of ammunition.
cnn.comDEA agents realized Chong was not involved and told him he wouldn't be charged. Chong, still in handcuffs, was then placed in a 5-by-10-foot, windowless holding cell. No one would return to the cell for four days, until the afternoon of April 25.
gawker.com
He thought he was forgotten by mistake
Mr Chong was one of nine people detained in the raid in April 2012. Authorities determined that they would not pursue charges after questioning him.
One of Mr Chong's lawyers said a police officer then put him in the holding cell and told him: "We'll come get you in a minute." Mr Chong said he thought he was forgotten by mistake.
gawker.comWithout food or water, he resorted to drinking his own urine to survive
Without food or water, Chong resorted to drinking his own urine to survive. By the third day, he said he was hallucinating.
inquisitr.com
"I didn't just sit there quietly. I was kicking the door yelling," he was quoted as saying by the Associated Press news agency. "I even put some shoestrings, shoelaces through the crack of the door for visual signs. I didn't stay still, no, I was screaming."
Eventually, Chong thought he would die and used a piece of broken glass to carve “Sorry mom” onto his arm, but was only able to complete the “s.”
gawker.com
DEA spokeswoman Allison Price confirmed that the $4.1m settlement had been reached, according to the AP
Since the incident, Chong has returned to complete his undergraduate degree at UC San Diego, Yoo said. “He changed his major from engineering to economics and wants to finish school, pursue his career and help take care of his mother.”
Image via wordpress.comWhen DEA agents finally returned to the cell, they found Chong covered in feces and dehydrated. He had lost 15 pounds and was hospitalized for five days for dehydration, kidney failure, cramps and a perforated esophagus
gawker.comThe incident prompted the head of the DEA to issue a public apology last May, saying he was "deeply troubled" by the incident.
Mr Chong's lawyer said that as a result of the incident the DEA had introduced new policies for detention, including checking cells daily and installing cameras inside them.
fox40.comWhat does 'DEA' mean?
The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) is a United States federal law enforcement agency under the U.S. Department of Justice, tasked with combating drug smuggling and use within the United States.
Not only is the DEA the lead agency for domestic enforcement of the Controlled Substances Act, sharing concurrent jurisdiction with the FBI and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), it also has sole responsibility for coordinating and pursuing U.S. drug investigations abroad.
What is a 'DEA' cell?
DEA facility or DEA cell is where suspects are interrogated or held under the watch.
Is it safe to drink your urine?
Urophagia is the consumption of urine. There are various reasons that humans may consume urine.
Urine was used in several ancient cultures for various health, healing, and cosmetic purposes, practices which are still used by some people of these cultures today.
Other reasons for urophagia include attempting survival, if no other potable fluid is available, though numerous credible sources (including the US Army Field Manual) advise against it.
Consuming one's own urine (or the urine of a healthy person, if participating in urolagnia involving urophagia) is relatively low in risk. Bacterial infection of the urinating person's urethra, or disease in the person urinating may pose a risk.
answers.comMany survivors of horrendous accidents and disasters have said they drank their urine to stay hydrated—including Aron Ralston, the man who amputated his own arm to escape a boulder in a Utah canyon in 2003. * Nevertheless, the practice is not widely advised as a survival technique.