New Zealand dad Willis Tepania dies after taking viral ‘ice challenge’

A FATHER has died after having a bucket of ice poured over his head as part of a dangerous new drinking craze sweeping the inteet.

Willis Tepania, a 40-year-old New Zealander, completed the so-called "ice challenge” before drinking as much as a litre of bourbon in a matter of minutes, sources told the New Zealand Herald.

Tepania suffered a heart attack five hours later.

The game, often associated with alcohol, involves a participant having ice cold water poured over them. They then nominate others to do the same and make a donation to charity.

As with similar games NekNominate and Punch4Punch, the challenge is usually filmed so footage can be shared online.

One of Tepania"s grieving relatives waed others to be sensible.

"If you"re going to do the ice challenge, do it for the right reasons,” he told the Herald.

"Alcohol has nothing to do with the ice challenge. Just basically think before you act, because one mistake and your life could be gone. All for what, a bottle of alcohol?”

Another relative said the death was not linked to the stunt and that it came 12 hours later, TVNZ reported.

The aunt said Mr Tepania "had been in poor health for a number of years and had a bit of a drinking problem”.