How to Get out of Quicksand
Quicksand is a common plot device used in many adventure movies, where a character gets swallowed alive by what seems to be solid ground. While deaths from quicksand are very rare, injuries and serious risks from quicksand are always real dangers. If you’re stuck in a pool of quicksand, here are some ways to get out safe and alive.
What is Quicksand?
Quicksand is a mixture of supersaturated silt and clay suspended in water. Quicksand is an example of a non-Newtonian fluid; while it looks like solid ground, a small disturbance or stress on the surface of the quicksand is enough to trigger its liquid properties. An object, animal, or person who gets stuck in quicksand will then be swallowed until the supersaturated particles return to the original solid-like state.
Quicksand can be found in marshes, riverbanks, and beaches, although it is not uncommon to find quicksand near mines and quarrying sites. Animals and people who get stuck in quicksand may suffer from serious injuries or death from exposure if they do not get out of the trap quickly.
Keep Moving
It’s much easier to get out of quicksand if it remains in a liquid-like consistency instead of a solid mass. The key is to keep the particles moving and keep the quicksand as a suspension instead of a solid. Move your feet and legs around, and try sloshing the quicksand around your waist with the base of your palms every now and then. Do not sink your hands or arms in the quicksand.
Move Slowly
Never, under any circumstances, have someone pull you out of the quicksand, unless the situation demands for it. The particles settle quite quickly, and you may end up trapped in the suspension more firmly than you expect. If someone tugs you out with a force strong enough, you may end up literally coming apart at the waist. Take slow, big steps out of the quicksand, and create the water spaces necessary for the silt to move and give you enough room to escape the quicksand trap.
Use a Stick
If you can get your hands on a tree branch or a tree limb long enough to assist your movement and escape from the quicksand trap, then you should use it as a cane or a prop to give you the leverage to escape. Make sure that the stick is strong enough to support your body weight, and is long enough to be at least a foot above the surface of the quicksand.
While deaths from quicksand may be rare, you don’t have to be one of its very few victims. With these ways to get out of quicksand, you can chalk up the 15 or so minutes you spent there to another exciting memory of an adrenalin rush.