Student 'made to neck 750ml of rum in 30 minutes' given 1% chance of survival
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A student was given a one percent chance of survival after he was 'forced to drink a bottle of rum'.
Just 19 years old at the time, Benjamin Brennan claims he was made to down a 750ml bottle of the spirit in 30 minutes while he was also struck with paddles.
He says the stunt had a devastating impact on his health, and was left unable to 'care for himself, stand, or speak'.
And Brennan, now 21, claims that after falling unconscious he was dumped at a hospital by a group of students and left.
He was later put on life support, with medics almost certain that he would not make it.
Drugs were also found in Brennan's system at the time.
Now Brennan has filed a lawsuit against the national Kappa Sigma fraternity, its defunct San Diego State University (SDSU) chapter, and suspended members of the SDSU fraternity over the alleged hazing ritual, which took place in 2021.
Describing the incident, it states: "Hospital personnel found Plaintiff Brennan unconscious, vomiting and not protecting his airway.
"Plaintiff Brennan was placed on life support, intubated and was given a one percent chance of survival by treating physicians due to his grave condition and Blood Alcohol Content Level of 489 which was recorded at some point in time long after Brennan had stopped consuming alcohol.
"Tetrahydrocannabinol or THC was also found in his system.
"Despite doctors' giving Brennan less than a one percent chance of surviving, Brennan miraculously survived and is on a very long and difficult road to recovery."
Speaking to ABC7, James Frantz, who is representing Brennan, said the incident had an incredibly damaging impact on his life.
"He can't work, and we don't know if he'll be able to," he said. "He can't go back to school now. All those types of damages, and all the emotional distress damages he's going to suffer."
San Diego's Kappa Sigma chapter was expelled by the university in 2022.
Mitchell B Wilson is the executive director of the national Kappa Sigma Fraternity.
He told Fox News Digital that the fraternity would 'review it [the lawsuit] closely' and that it was strongly opposed to this kind of behaviour.
"What happened to Benjamin Brennan is unacceptable under any circumstances, and the Kappa Sigma Fraternity has taken action against the individuals who were involved," Wilson said.
"As an organisation, we continue to adamantly oppose hazing, the misuse of alcohol and placing the health and safety of any person at risk."
LADbible has contacted the national Kappa Sigma Fraternity for further comment.
