How to Get Out of Quicksand (It’s Not Like the Movies!)

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Plus, learn how dangerous quicksand actually is & where it forms
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You're hiking alone in the wilderness, lost in your thoughts, when suddenly you find yourself trapped in quicksand and sinking fast. Certain muddy death? Not quite. While quicksand isn't nearly as dangerous as it looks in the movies, it is a real phenomenon that occurs all over the world. In this article, we’ll show you exactly what to do to free yourself from quicksand, plus explain what quicksand actually is to begin with. You’ll definitely get messy, but you’ll be free in just a few minutes!

How can you escape quicksand?

Drop any heavy belongings you’re carrying and stay calm and relaxed. If just your foot is stuck, try to take small steps backward onto solid ground before the quicksand sets. If you're deeper, float on your back and slowly wiggle your legs free so they float too. “Swim” to safety and roll onto solid ground.

Section 1 of 5:

Getting Yourself Out of Quicksand

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  1. Quicksand usually isn't more than a couple feet deep, but if you do happen to come across a particularly deep spot, you may sink quite quickly down to your waist or even chest. If you panic, you can sink further, but if you relax, your body's buoyancy will cause you to float. [1]
    • Breathe deeply to remain calm and 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.
    • Panicking can also make you flail around. Big, frantic movements can get you more stuck. They create a vacuum, which then just fills in with even more densely packed sand as it settles toward the bottom of the quicksand. [2]
  2. If you step into quicksand and you're wearing a backpack or carrying something heavy, immediately take off your backpack or drop what you're carrying. Because your body is less dense than quicksand, you can't fully sink unless you panic and struggle too much or you're weighed down by something heavy. [3]
    • If it's possible to get out of your shoes, do so. Shoes, especially those with flat, inflexible soles (many boots, for example) create suction as you try to pull them out of quicksand.
    • Tip: If you know ahead of time that you are highly likely to encounter quicksand, change out of your boots and either go barefoot or wear shoes that you can pull your feet out of easily.
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  3. As soon as you realize what you’re standing in, take a couple of quick, small steps backward onto solid ground before the quicksand takes hold. It usually takes a moment for the sand to fully liquify, which means you have a short window to “unstick” yourself before you’re more firmly stuck. [4]
    • Warning: If your feet do become stuck, avoid taking big lumbering steps to try to get yourself out. Taking a big step forward might unstick one foot, but push your other farther down, making it extremely difficult to completely unstick yourself.
    • If you’re with someone, try to grab their hand or a stick for support while you wiggle yourself out. However, don’t let them try to pull you right out; the suction is very strong and the force required to pluck something out of quicksand is the same as you’d need to lift a small car. [5] Chances are it won’t work (and it could injure you, too).
  4. The more you spread out your weight across the surface, the harder it will be to sink. Bend and float on your back while you slowly and carefully kick and wiggle your legs to help them float toward the surface (the small movements introduce more water into the dense sand below, helping to free your feet from the sandy suction). Soon, you’ll be floating on top of the quicksand. [6]
    • Once your legs are free, inch yourself to safety by using your arms to slowly and smoothly propel yourself backward. Move your arms in a sweeping motion, almost as if you were swimming a backstroke .
    • Tip: If you have a walking stick, lay it on the surface of the quicksand horizontally behind you. Flop onto your back on top of it for extra support and to keep your hips from sinking further while you slowly pull your legs free.
    • Take short breaks if you need to. Fighting quicksand can be exhausting, so conserve your energy and remember to use small motions.
    • You’ll definitely get dirty doing this, but it’s the quickest and safest way to free yourself.
  5. Rolling keeps your weight widely distributed so you won’t get re-stuck. If you stand up too soon, you risk planting your foot back into the quicksand and having to start your escape all over. Leave your shoes and other belongings behind if necessary. [7]
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Section 2 of 5:

Avoiding Quicksand

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  1. Be on the lookout for ground that appears unstable and wet, or sand that has unnatural looking “ripples” in the texture. You should be able to see water seeping up from below the sand, making quicksand quite visible if you're on the lookout as you're hiking around. [8]
  2. Always bring a hefty walking stick, both to use in case you become stuck, but also to tap the ground in front of you as you walk. A few seconds with a walking stick could be the difference between a messy wrestling match with a pool of quicksand and a safe hike. [9]
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Section 3 of 5:

What is quicksand?

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  1. Normally, roughly spherical grains of sand are packed tightly together with only 25-30% of the total volume taken up by voids or spaces between them, which can fill with air or water. With quicksand, however, the grains are more elongated than spherical. This means anywhere from 30-70% of the total volume is taken up by voids between the grains, leaving them vulnerable to shifting quickly when pressure is applied. [10]
    • Think of quicksand like a house of cards—the space taken up by emptiness or voids is much greater than the space taken up by the actual cards (or in this case, grains) that are touching each other.
    • Quicksand can be so sensitive to pressure or vibrations that just a 1% increase in stress can cause it to suddenly liquify. [11]
Section 4 of 5:

Where can you find quicksand?

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  1. While quicksand is not a unique kind of soil, it can form anywhere groundwater mixes with sandy soil, creating a distinctive soupy mixture. Learning to anticipate places you might encounter quicksand is the best way to avoid becoming entangled in it. Quicksand most commonly occurs in: [12]
    • Tidal flats
    • Swamps and marshes
    • Near lake shores
    • Near underground springs
    • Beaches and riverbanks during low tide
    • The downwind side of desert dunes (possibly; this type of “dry” quicksand has so far only been found in laboratories) [13]
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Section 5 of 5:

How dangerous is quicksand?

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  1. Unlike in Hollywood, it’s extremely unlikely you’ll drown in quicksand; it’s typically not deep enough (only a few inches or feet at most), plus it’s almost impossible to sink all the way under unless you’re panicking (quicksand is about twice as dense as a human body, meaning you can float in it). [14]
    • If you step in deep quicksand, you’ll usually only sink to your waist or mid-chest because of your buoyancy. [15]
    • However, if you’re stuck and exposed to the elements for a long time, you can suffer from dehydration, heat exhaustion, or hypothermia (all of which can be fatal after enough time). [16]
    • If you’re stuck near a riverbed or shoreline, you also risk potential drowning if water flows and rises over the quicksand.
    • Additionally, the pressure of the sand can shut off your blood flow and potentially cause nerve damage, numbing your legs and making it far more difficult yourself without help.

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  • Question
    How does quicksand form?
    Community Answer
    Quicksand forms when wet sand is suddenly dislodged. The water cannot escape so it creates a liquefied solid.
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  • Question
    Why is quicksand so dangerous?
    Community Answer
    Because it keeps pulling you downward. If your body sinks into the chest area, the pressure can make it difficult for you to breathe.
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  • Question
    How do I get someone else out of quicksand?
    Community Answer
    If you have a rope or walking stick use that to pull them out from a safe distance. Do not enter the quicksand yourself.
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      Tips

      • Twisting and squirming only sinks you deeper. Make every motion slowly and take your time.
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      • Relax your head and keep it up as much as you can without becoming tense.
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      • If you hike with someone else in an area where you're likely to encounter quicksand, bring along at least 20 feet (6.1 m) of rope. That way if one person falls in, the other can stand safely on firm ground and help pull them out. If the person on firm ground is not strong enough to pull the victim out, the rope should be tied to a tree or other stationary object so that the victim can pull themselves out.
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      Warnings

      • While hiking barefoot might help protect you against quicksand, it can expose you to parasites that enter through the skin, such as hookworms and strongholds.
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      References

      1. ↑ http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20160323-can-quicksand-really-suck-you-to-your-death
      2. ↑ https://www.earthdate.org/episodes/caught-in-quicksand
      3. ↑ https://www.zmescience.com/other/science-abc/how-quicksand-works-escape/
      4. ↑ https://www.zmescience.com/other/science-abc/how-quicksand-works-escape/
      5. ↑ https://www.livescience.com/9373-quicksand-myth-debunked-float-free.html
      6. ↑ https://www.livescience.com/9373-quicksand-myth-debunked-float-free.html
      7. ↑ https://www.earthdate.org/episodes/caught-in-quicksand
      8. ↑ https://www.earthdate.org/episodes/caught-in-quicksand
      9. ↑ https://www.zmescience.com/feature-post/natural-sciences/geology-and-paleontology/rocks-and-minerals/how-quicksand-works-escape/
      1. ↑ https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/what-is-quicksand/
      2. ↑ https://www.earthdate.org/episodes/caught-in-quicksand
      3. ↑ https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/what-is-quicksand/
      4. ↑ https://www.zmescience.com/feature-post/natural-sciences/geology-and-paleontology/rocks-and-minerals/how-quicksand-works-escape/
      5. ↑ https://www.zmescience.com/feature-post/natural-sciences/geology-and-paleontology/rocks-and-minerals/how-quicksand-works-escape/
      6. ↑ https://www.earthdate.org/episodes/caught-in-quicksand
      7. ↑ https://www.earthdate.org/episodes/caught-in-quicksand

      About This Article

      Article Summary X

      To get out of quicksand, start by taking a few deep breaths to calm down since panicking will make you sink faster. Then, bend your body backward so you're lying on your back on top of the quicksand, and carefully work your legs out of the quicksand until they're no longer stuck. Next, use your arms to propel yourself to the edge of the quicksand like you would if you were swimming. Finally, once you reach the edge, roll your body onto solid ground. For more tips, like how to recognize and avoid quicksand, keep reading!

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