4 Hospitalized After Drinking Lye at Party

Four young men at a Hollywood “rave” party passed around a water container they believed held a drug early Thursday morning and drank what turned out to be pure lye, authorities said.

The four, whose ages ranged from 16 to 20, fell unconscious a short time later, and three were in respiratory arrest when they arrived by ambulance at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, said Los Angeles Police Lt. Bernie Larralde. The fourth was conscious but incoherent and was taken to Kaiser Permanente hospital.

Two had been discharged from the hospitals by late Thursday and the other two were listed in good condition. Their names were not released pending the outcome of an investigation.