A new map has revealed where quicksand can be found in the US after a woman walking along a beach in Maine almost lost her life in a liquid well.
Quicksand can form on beaches, mudflats, riverbanks or near springs, anywhere the ground is saturated with water.
Florida and the Carolinas are risky with their swamp coasts, while parts of Utah, New Mexico and Arizona have clay-filled waters that mix with sand to form the traps.
Although deaths from quicksand are rare, experts warn people to look for telltale signs, including a denser appearance such as mud instead of sand with a rippled texture and water seeping underneath.
Quicksand is found in swampy areas or near bodies of water such as riverbanks or beaches, commonly found on the coasts of Florida, North and South Carolina, and the Colorado Plateau – where Arizona, Utah, New Mexico and Colorado intersect
Jamie Acord was walking along the waterfront at Popham Beach State Park in Phippsburg with her husband Patrick earlier this month when she became tangled in quicksand and suddenly “fell like a rock.” The couple is pictured together on the beach
Earlier this month, Jamie Acord was walking with her husband Patrick at Popham Beach State Park in Phippsburg when she sank waist-deep in quicksand as the tide washed up on shore.
She sank to her hips in a split second and let out a stunned scream as the tide began to creep in.
Acord said she “couldn’t feel the bottom” or “find my footing” as she sank into the sand before her husband, Patrick, could pull her out.
But within seconds, Patrick came to her rescue and pulled her out of the sandbox.
The couple then watched as the hole filled again with sand and disappeared.
Another recent incident occurred in 2019 when a hiker was rescued in Zion National Park in southwestern Utah.
Ryan Osmun was hiking with his girlfriend Jessika McNeill in Utah’s Zion National Park on Saturday when she suddenly stumbled into quicksand.
While Osmun was helping her, his own right leg became stuck in the quicksand and he was unable to free himself.
McNeill then had to walk for three hours to get cell service to call for help, and neither she nor Osmun were sure if they would ever see each other again.
‘There was no way to move it at all. The sand had surrounded the entire leg and I could not move it. The best way to describe it would be… standing in a huge puddle of concrete – that basically dries up instantly,” Osmun told CBS.
Quicksand is formed when sand becomes saturated with water, causing it to become mushy and bend under the weight. However, it is usually only a few feet deep, meaning people will only sink up to their waists.
The actual number of people who die from immersion in quicksand is so rare that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) does not record the number of deaths.
“However, it is difficult to get out,” says Dr. Daniel Bonn, a researcher specializing in quicksand at the University of Amsterdam. Newsweek.
“So if you’re stuck near the sea, a rising high tide could kill you.”
She sank to her hips in a split second and let out a stunned scream as the tide began to creep in. The photo shows moments before the incident.
Another recent case occurred in 2019 when a hiker was rescued in Zion National Park in southwestern Utah. Ryan Osmun was hiking with his girlfriend Jessika McNeill in Utah’s Zion National Park on Saturday when she suddenly stumbled into quicksand
The most recent death was 50-year-old Jose Rey Escobedo who was swimming in the San Antonio River in 2015 when he became stuck in quicksand.
His body was found three days later, lying face down and submerged up to his buttocks in quicksand, marking the only related death in Texas in a five-year period.
‘The clay (in quicksand) can stabilize a loose pack of sand grains, just as yogurt can stabilize the grains of wheat within it,’ says Dr Bonn.
‘However, if you start moving around in it, the clay matrix liquefies and the sand pack collapses, similar to a house of cards collapsing. So it becomes liquid and you sink.
‘You get stuck in the tight packing of sand grains at the bottom of the liquefied part. But you can’t drown in it.’
It’s also not uncommon for people to survive after being submerged in quicksand, including a 78-year-old Florida man who was rescued eight hours after becoming stuck in 2016.
Bob Broyle ventured out to feed turtles in a nearby creek around 5:30 p.m., but fell down the steep creek bank.
When Broyle tried to get up, he realized his head had slipped into quicksand.
McNeill then had to walk three hours to get cell service to call for help, and neither she nor Osmun were sure if they would ever see each other again.
These boggy sand deposits are found in swampy areas or near bodies of water such as riverbanks or beaches, often found on the coasts of Florida, North and South Carolina, and the Colorado Plateau – where Arizona, Utah, New Mexico and Colorado meet cross.
‘People hear the word quicksand and think of jungle film. The reality with this oversaturated sand is you are not going under,” said Jim Britt, spokesman for the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry.
He further explained that even if people are trapped, they will float at the top and eventually be freed.
If you find yourself stuck in quicksand, experts have warned that it is important not to panic as waving your arms and legs could cause you to fall even deeper underwater.
Instead, it is recommended that you lean back slightly and distribute your weight evenly so that you float and gently wiggle your legs, which allows more water to be added to the sand and liquefy it, allowing you to pull away.
‘It’s like your boot gets stuck in the mud; if you just pull, nothing happens. So you have to worm your way out of it,” Dr. Bonn said.
This can take a while, because physicists calculate that the force required to pull your foot free at a rate of one centimeter per second is about the same force required to lift a medium-sized car. Britannica.
Quicksand forms when sand becomes saturated with water, causing it to become mushy and sag under the weight – but it is usually only a few meters deep, meaning people will only sink up to their waists
Experts advise people to lean back slightly and distribute their weight evenly so they stay afloat after sinking into quicksand. They also recommend gently wiggling your legs, which can add more water to the sand and liquefy it so you can pull yourself loose. In the photo: Quicksand near the sea in Grosseto, Italy
If you’re unsure whether you’ve encountered quicksand, first test the area by tapping the ground with a pole or walking stick. If the ground gives way, it’s best to simply avoid the area.
“You can’t drown in quicksand because of its buoyancy,” Dr. Bonn said.
In a 2005 study, Dr. Bonn and a team of scientists found that humans have about half the density of quicksand, meaning they should stay afloat as long as they don’t struggle and bury themselves in the supersaturated sand.
“Someone stuck in quicksand is in no danger of being completely submerged,” says the study published in the journal Nature log.
‘Any unfortunate victim would have to sink halfway into the quicksand, but could then take comfort in the knowledge that there is no risk of being sucked beneath the surface.’