Getting caught in quicksand can be fatal, with victims dying mostly from dehydration, hypothermia or heat exhaustion. Quicksand is just super-saturated sand.
Normal wet sand is about 25 percent water; quicksand is more than 70 percent. Quicksand can form on beaches, tidal flats, riverbanks or near springs—anywhere the ground is saturated with water. Quicksand looks solid, and if you were to place something or even step lightly upon it, it may support you. But once the sand grains are out of liquid suspension, they too will sink, and compact around your legs, trapping you.
Lie back in slow motion. Wiggle your legs in tiny movements, which will slowly let water in to loosen the compacted sand. Then gradually recline to float on the surface. But what is quicksand and can you really be swallowed alive by it? What Is Quicksand? Scientific American. At first they sunk a little, but as the sand gradually began to mix with water again, the buoyancy of the mixture increases and they floated back up to the top.
Bonn and his team tried placing all sorts of objects on his lab-made quicksand. If they were of density equivalent to a human they did sink, but never completely, only half way.
This is really when quicksand can be dangerous. The quicksand effect means that falling into a silo full of grain can often be fatal Credit: Getty Images.
They tested samples from the shores of a lagoon in north eastern Brazil. They found that bacteria formed a crust on the top of the soil, giving the impression of a stable surface, but when stepped on the surface collapsed.
Dry quicksand, however, is another matter entirely. The quicksand effect means that falling into a silo full of grain can often be fatal. In a case report was published telling the tale of a man who fell into a grain store late one evening on a farm in Germany. By the time the firefighters were able to establish which of eight tanks he was in, the grain was up to his armpits and acting according to the classic idea of quicksand, was dragging him down.
Move horizontally. If you feel your feet getting stuck, take a quick couple of steps backward before the quicksand takes hold. It usually takes a minute for the mix to liquify, which means the best method of getting yourself unstuck is to not get stuck in the first place. Taking a big step forward might unstick one foot, but push your other farther down, making it extremely difficult to completely unstick yourself. Lay back. Sit down and lean back if your feet are stuck fast. Creating a larger "footprint" should free your feet by removing the pressure they create, allowing them to float.
When you feel them start to come free, roll to your side away from the quicksand and free of its grip. You'll get dirty, but its the quickest and safest way to free yourself. Take your time. If you're stuck in quicksand, frantic movements will only hurt your cause.
Whatever you do, do it slowly. Slow movements will prevent you from agitating the quicksand; vibrations caused by rapid movements can turn otherwise relatively firm ground into more quicksand. If you move slowly, you can more easily stop an adverse reaction and, by doing so, avoid getting yourself stuck deeper.
You're going to need to be patient. Depending on how much quicksand is around you, it could take several minutes or even hours to slowly, methodically get yourself out. Part 2. Quicksand usually isn't more than a couple feet deep, but if you do happen to come across a particularly deep spot, you could very well sink quite quickly down to your waist or chest.
If you panic you can sink further, but if you relax, your body's buoyancy will cause you to float. Not only will deep breathing help you remain calm, it will also make you more buoyant. Keep as much air in your lungs as possible.
It is impossible to "go under" if your lungs are full of air. Get on your back and "swim. 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. Once your legs are free you can inch yourself to safety by using your arms to slowly and smoothly propel yourself backward with your arms in a sweeping motion, as if you were swimming.
When you get near the edge of the quicksand, you can roll to hard ground. Use a stick. Carry a walking stick any time you're in quicksand country. As soon as you feel your ankles sink, lay the pole on the surface of the quicksand horizontally behind you.
Flop onto your back on top of the pole. After a minute or two, you will achieve balance in the quicksand, and you'll stop sinking. Work the pole towards a new position; move it under your hips. The pole will prevent your hips from sinking, so you can slowly pull one leg free, then the other. Quicksand may not be the horrific danger we see portrayed in popular movies and television. But what can make quicksand deadly is its ability to trap and hold unsuspecting victims.
The true killer of quicksand victims is exposure or possible drowning in nearby rising tides.
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