A beachgoer lately made headlines after changing into trapped in quicksand whereas amassing trash at Popham Seashore State Park, a preferred stretch of shore in Phippsburg, Maine. Jamie Acord advised the Related Press that she sunk hip-deep and “couldn’t really feel the underside.” Fortuitously, Acord’s husband, Patrick, pulled her to security, and she or he walked away shaken however unhurt. They have been shocked to show round and discover that the “gap” she had fallen into had disappeared the second she was extracted and had as soon as once more turn out to be imperceptible.
Sean Vaillancourt, a park supervisor, advised WGME 13, the native CBS information affiliate, that Acord just isn’t the one particular person to have fallen into quicksand at Popham Seashore State Park this yr. A spokesperson for the Maine Division of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry defined to the AP that the patches of quicksand at Popham Seashore State Park have been fashioned as lately as this winter, when a close-by river modified course and moved near widespread areas of the seashore. The river’s shift is believed to have resulted from storms that have been probably exacerbated by local weather change.
In the meantime, the information had the web asking in unison, “Wait, is quicksand actual?!”
The reply is sure.
What’s quicksand?
Quicksand types when sand turns into saturated with water or air. This saturation reduces the area between particular person sand particles. Much less area between the particles means much less friction, so the sand turns into unstable and can’t assist weight. Quicksand will appear like another stretch of sand, that means most individuals gained’t discover it till they unwittingly step into it. In keeping with Scientific American, quicksand usually happens close to pure springs and riverbanks and at seashores at low tide. It isn’t widespread in deserts.
Are you able to die by sinking into quicksand?
As scary as that sounds, dying in quicksand just isn’t a factor it’s good to actively fear about. Hollywood depictions of individuals changing into fully submerged in quicksand in a matter of minutes, a typical sight in flicks from the Nineteen Fifties by way of the ’80s, are grossly inaccurate; scientific research have proven a human can’t sink fully into quicksand. Whereas the decrease half of the physique could turn out to be submerged, the higher half will stay buoyant. It is because quicksand is denser than a human physique. So, whereas making an attempt to get out of quicksand might not be straightforward—and positively doesn’t sound like a enjoyable time—it’s hardly ever deadly.
What are the actual risks of quicksand?
That stated, quicksand can turn out to be lethal underneath sure circumstances; as an illustration, somebody trapped in quicksand at low tide is vulnerable to drowning when excessive tide rushes in and water ranges rise.
How do you get out?
So, this all begs the query: What must you do when you fall into quicksand? Vaillancourt advised WGME 13 that leaning ahead or backward and spreading out your legs and arms can assist you to get to the floor and maneuver your solution to the sting of the quicksand. Hopefully there’s one thing to seize onto to tug your self out or somebody to seize your hand and provide help to up. Above all, staying calm is essential.
