After an Arizona man was rescued from quicksand at Zion National Park in Utah, we look at how you can get stuck in quicksand and how you can get out.
PHOENIX - It turns out that quicksand is actually quite common around the world and even exists in Arizona.
Like I said earlier, it turns out quicksand is quite common. However, it seems interpretations involving quicksand, like in "Indiana Jones," "The Princess Bride," "Lawrence of Arabia," "Jumanji," "Scooby-Doo and the Ghoul School," are mildly-to-extremely exaggerated.
Quicksand can be found in places where there is grainy soil including riverbanks, marshes, lake shorelines, beaches and areas near underground springs.
While it's very hard to get out of, especially if you're moving aggressively, studies say humans can't actually go all the way under and drown because the human body is actually less dense than the quicksand. This indicates you could be sucked into around waist to chest level, but you shouldn't sink any further.
However, you can get stuck in this stuff and if you're alone, that's where you could be facing trouble.
So how do you get stuck? Well if you make it onto a patch of quicksand, it will actually become more liquid initially, which is what draws you in. After it initially liquefies, quicksand's viscosity (thickness or flow resistance) increases as you struggle. This is due to the formation of the sand sediment (high viscosity). Enough science? You can see this develop in this video, which was actually filmed in northern Arizona just north of Winslow.
You can see when he begins bouncing on the quicksand (3-minute mark), it liquefies and then gets thicker as he stands in it, which is why he says it's unsafe to remain still in the middle of it.
If you do find yourself in quicksand and sinking, it's important to not panic and not move around intensely. The key is to slowly wiggle your legs to try to get water to trickle down between your legs and the sand. Then, try to lay backward on your back because it's harder to sink if your weight is dispersed. Then, try to push yourself back using your arms to wiggle your lower half free until you can pull yourself out.
This video gives you the right kind of idea:
Note: this does not mean you'll be able to get out easily on your own, especially if you allow yourself to sink initially. If you get stuck, you'll likely need a trained professional rescue crew, like the Arizona man in Zion National Park. Do not go looking for quicksand and DEFINITELY do not purposely walk onto quicksand, especially if you are alone.
Quicksand has to be activated by movement and often just stepping on on a patch of quicksand will not just suck you in.
We hope you learned something new today. Most of us did.
FAQs
The key is to slowly wiggle your legs to try to get water to trickle down between your legs and the sand. Then, try to lay backward on your back because it's harder to sink if your weight is dispersed. Then, try to push yourself back using your arms to wiggle your lower half free until you can pull yourself out.
How to get out if quicksand? ›
Instead, if possible, try making small back-and-forth motions with your legs, which should loosen the sand around you. Lose your shoes if you have to. Next, if you're not too deep, you can try lying on your back. The more you distribute your weight across the surface, the harder it will be to sink farther.
How to remove quicksand? ›
The best thing someone stuck in quicksand can do is make themself as light as possible and try to release their feet before finding an edge to pull onto. Then, once you find the edge, you can slowly pull yourself out and onto solid ground.
Can you swim your way out of quicksand? ›
Get on your back and "swim." If you sink up to your hips or higher, bend backward. The more you spread out your weight, the harder it will be to sink. Float on your back while you slowly and carefully extricate your legs.
Can you be rescued from quicksand? ›
You can only sink into quicksand up to your waist. Really, the only way to drown from the quicksand is to fall into it head first or face first. A rescuer can't simply pull a victim out of quicksand. However, a person or branch can be used to help reduce the victim's weight, making it easier to work free and float.
Why does quicksand pull you under? ›
Vibrations caused by agitation and excess water reduce the friction that normally occurs between sand particles. This means the sand begins to act more like a liquid than a solid. Once the sand liquefies, it loses its strength and ability to support heavy objects, such as a person standing on its surface.
What happens if you don't move in quicksand? ›
In still water quicksand there is no sucking action at all. Even if you are in sand where you do sink, you won't go under. You are actually more buoyant in that type of quicksand than you would be in water. The real danger with quicksand is you won't be able to move & you die of exposure.
How many quicksand deaths per year? ›
How many people die worldwide on a yearly basis because of quicksand? - Quora. None. That is, nobody dies by being sucked down into quicksand, because quicksand doesn't work that way: Its density is higher that your body's, so you could only sink so far. Quicksand swallowing you up only happens in old Hollywood movies ...
How far can you sink in quicksand? ›
Quicksand has a density of about 2 grams per cubic centimeter, whereas the density of the human body is only about 1 gram per cubic centimeter. At that level of density, sinking beyond about waist height in quicksand is impossible. Even objects with a higher density than quicksand will float on it if stationary.
How deep is quicksand usually? ›
most quicksand is only 2-3 feet deep and you will hit. the bottom before you reach a depth you can float in. So people don't actually drown or get buried in the.
Quicksand can form on beaches, tidal flats, riverbanks or near springs—anywhere the ground is saturated with water. In those places, look out for sand that's spongy or rippled in appearance, and check suspicious areas with a stick.
Can you drive over quicksand? ›
BEACH DRIVING
When driving on damp sand, your wheels may sink into the surface, so use the Mud and Ruts setting. Keep off wet sand as it can contain dangerous areas of 'floating' sand or quicksand.
How far do you sink into quicksand? ›
most quicksand is only 2-3 feet deep and you will hit. the bottom before you reach a depth you can float in. So people don't actually drown or get buried in the.
Does struggling in quicksand make you sink faster? ›
The more you struggle in quicksand the faster you will sink. If you just relax, your body will float in it because your body is less dense than the quicksand.
