Madelyn Rose Metzger
12/18/2004 - 08/10/2022
Written by her loving father, Raphael Metzger
Madelyn (known to friends and family as “Maddie”) was a kind and caring teenager who was loved by everyone who knew her. Maddie was very positive and supportive of her friends; she never had anything negative to say about anyone. She was a brilliant student who wanted to study science, math, and engineering, with a goal of developing technological solutions to the climate change crisis.
Maddie was an excellent athlete and swimmer. She wanted everyone to win, which explains why she disliked competitive sports and enrolled in dance class instead of physical education. Maddie ate healthy foods, rode her e-bike, did cardio, and challenged herself to do the best she could.
On August 5, 2022 Maddie attended a Young Women in STEM Conference at the California Institute of Technology (Cal-Tech) that was so inspiring she said it was the happiest day of her life. Five days later, on August 10, 2022, Maddie drowned in shallow water in the pool at her home.
The medical examiner concluded that the cause of Maddie’s death was drowning and the manner of death was accidental. There was no trauma to her head or extremities. Pathology tests ruled out all medical causes such as heart arrhythmia, brain aneurysm, and Long QT syndrome. Of course, toxicology tests were all negative. At the time Maddie’s death was a mystery. How could a young healthy 17-year-old girl who was an excellent swimmer and athlete drown in shallow water?
It was then ascertained that Maddie had been introduced to Wim Hof Breathing as a wellness activity and that she did Wim Hof breathing exercises to reduce anxiety. On the morning of August 10th, Maddie was experiencing anxiety. In an effort to reduce her anxiety, she put on a bathing suit, went into the pool, and did Wim Hof Breathing. She hyperventilated, became unconscious and drowned silently in shallow water. That afternoon her father found her face down in the pool. Despite his efforts and those of paramedics, Maddie could not be resuscitated.
Maddie’s father, a trial attorney, was devastated by the loss of his beloved daughter who was so sweet, caring, kind and intelligent. Upon learning that more than a dozen healthy young athletes and swimmers had died doing Wim Hof Breathing in shallow water, he felt compelled to take legal action to prevent more healthy young people from drowning doing this extremely dangerous activity.
In December 2022 Maddie’s father filed a lawsuit against Wim Hof and his company Innerfire BV for causing Maddie’s death. The lawsuit has two goals. First, to obtain an injunction against Wim Hof and his company to prevent them from marketing this dangerous activity in California and hopefully in all the United States. Second, to obtain a substantial money judgment against Wim Hof and his company, to fund scholarships at Cal-Tech for young women pursuing education in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), and to fund prevention efforts by Underwater Hypoxic Blackout Prevention, also known as the Shallow Water Prevention Foundation.
Scott Carney, a journalist and former Wim Hof devotee, who is now one of his many critics, has reported on the lawsuit filed by Maddie’s father.
(See “The Rise and Fall of the Wim Hof Empire” )
For Wim Hof’s response to the lawsuit, see https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qZxaAcQHzMs, in which Carney accuses Wim Hof of perjury. As a result of Scott Carney’s excellent reporting, several relatives of Wim Hof drowning victims have contacted Carney and told him how their loved ones died doing Wim Hof breathing.
Maddie’s father would like to hear from other families affected by Wim Hof drownings and hopes that families and friends of other victims will tell their stories to the jury when his case for Maddie’s wrongful death goes to trial. Maddie’s father can be reached at rmetzger@toxictorts.com.