Two more candidates threw themselves into the running for this year’s Darwin Awards.

LUTZ — The son of a prominent Tampa jeweler and young woman from Lutz were found dead Saturday morning inside a deflated promotional balloon used to advertise condominiums at LakeView at Calusa Trace.

Jason Ackerman, 21, a junior at the University of South Florida, and Sara Rydman, 21, of Lutz, were found by a maintenance man around 9:45 a.m. when he noticed two bodies protruding from the deflated balloon, which was spread out across the grass near the complex entrance. Sheriff’s deputies said the two were fully clothed and were not victims of foul play.

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Investigators would not speculate on the cause of death, but Sara Rydman’s mother, Linda Rydman, said the Hillsborough Medical Examiner suggested that inhaling helium had contributed to their deaths. “It was more of a fun thing they thought they were doing,” she said. “You know how you blow up the balloon and suck the helium…”

Apparently they don’t teach the fact that “putting oneself into a completely oxygen-free environment isn’t such a good idea” in basic science classes, these days.

A complex manager saw the balloon, which is about 8 feet in diameter, stretched high into the air, at 6:45 p.m. Friday, said sheriff’s spokeswoman Debbie Carter. Sometime later — Friday night or Saturday morning — after parking the Lexus ES300 Ackerman was driving near the complex’s clubhouse, the two apparently pulled the balloon out of the sky and squeezed themselves inside, where they died.

Carter said a fan is used to fill the balloon, and the opening in the bottom is large enough to allow the pair to crawl inside.

The countdown has started on the massive, frivolous lawsuit against the condo complex for having an unsecured, deadly helium balloon on the premises… 5… 4… 3…

These two fit the profile of “Butterfly Ballot Botchers™” perfectly.

“Flori-duh: Pushing the Envelope of Stoopid™ since 2000.”

Links to story:

http://www.tbo.com/news/metro/MGBE94AU0OE.html

http://www.sptimes.com/2006/06/03/Tampabay/2_found_dead_under_de.shtml

Submitted on 06/04/2006

Submitted by: B.C., Gabriel
Reference: The Tampa Tribune

Copyright © 2006 DarwinAwards.com

James said:
Definitely Keep: Darwin Award
Thanks, BC, this was the write-up I was waiting for. It's one thing to suck in a few cubic feet of helium from a toy balloon; it is quite another to crawl into an ANOXIC environment and expect to come back out alive. I'll bet their last moments consisted of happy, high-pitched, incoherent giggling as they slowly passed out and passed into the hereafter. PLENTY stupid, says I, and worthy of being shared with the readership!

Greg said:
Definitely Keep: Darwin Award
I agree - I laughed out loud at this: Apparently they don’t teach the fact that “putting oneself into a completely oxygen-free environment isn’t such a good idea” in basic science classes, these days. - too right!

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