Dead New Mexico Woman’s Family Sues Bar over Lewd Corndog Contest

A New Mexico family is suing the owners of a shuttered Albuquerque night club, their former landlord and a liquor license-holder after a woman choked during a corndog eating contest and suffered fatal brain damage.

The mother, husband and daughter of 56-year-old Debra Harbeck argue in the wrongful death lawsuit that Fire and Ice staff served her multiple shots of gin the night she was rushed to the hospital in January, and allowed her to participate in the risky contest despite her level of intoxication.

The family says the contest called for female contestants to get on their knees in front of a male teammate who stood as he held the corndog in front of the woman to eat. Harbeck was out celebrating her daughter’s 22nd birthday.

Harbeck died several days later at a hospital.