Getting Out of Quicksand



If you are wearing something heavy attached to yourself like a backpack, unstrap it immediately if you feel it pushing you down.

Assuming you can't reach any part of dry land to help aid you in pulling yourself out, all you need to do to get out then is to slowly lean back putting more of your upper body in the quicksand, which may seem scary, but don't worry, you'll float significantly better in quicksand than water, so you won't sink as long as long you don't make sudden movements, which can result in significant suctioning effects, as well as simply separating some of the water and muck around you. This can potentially create water pockets around you which can decrease your boyancy.

As you lean back, gently try to bring your legs upwards. Be patient and do everything as if you are doing it in slow motion. You've got all the time in the world here unless you act like you don't and move quickly; then your time on this earth might be ending sooner rather than later.

Once you are on your back with your legs and mid-section floating, ever so gently use your hands to very slowly paddle your way towards the edge using very short slow strokes. Again, everything should be done as if it is in slow-motion. Don't submerse your hands all the way here. Also, try to keep part of your arms above the muck so you aren't paddling with your entire arm. Paddling with your whole arm at too fast a speed will tend to make the sediment and water separate a bit  around your body, as described before, which will decrease your buoyancy, which is bad. As long as you work in slow motion with small strokes, you should be fine either way, but good to be extra cautious.

Depending on how far in you got yourself into the quicksand, it may take several hours to paddle yourself out to where you can reach solid land.

1 comment: