Humans and animals typically float in water, so if you are standing upright, the furthest you'll sink in the quicksand is waist-deep. It's true you don't sink in quicksand until you're submerged. Strong forces stiffen quicksand, making it more like a solid than a liquid, so pulling and jerking only make a bad situation worse.Ī quick Google search reveals most writers don't have personal experience with quicksand or consult water rescue experts. The trick to escaping the trap is to move slowly and try to float. You'll only sink halfway, no matter how badly you freak out.ĭisturbing quicksand makes it flow like a liquid, but gravity acts against you. However, the average human has a density of about 1 gram per milliliter, while the average quicksand density is about 2 grams per milliliter. The sand around you also settles into place.Ĭontinued movement (like thrashing around from panic) keeps the mixture more like a liquid, so you sink further. If you stop after the first step, the sand particles beneath you get compressed by your weight. Stepping on it initially lowers the viscosity, so you sink. Undisturbed quicksand appears solid, but it's really a gel. What this means it can change its ability to flow (viscosity) in response to stress. Technically speaking, quicksand is a non-Newtonian fluid. If you have to rescue yourself, wriggle your legs to make the quicksand more fluid while trying to sit back into the quicksand to increase your body's surface area.
The best way to prevent a fatality is to keep a charged cell phone with you so you can call for help.Death can come in the form of suffocation, dehydration, hypothermia, predators, crush syndrome, or drowning from a river or incoming tide. Even though you can't sink all the way into quicksand, it's a killer.However, a person or branch can be used to help reduce the victim's weight, making it easier to work free and float.
It changes its viscosity in response to stress or vibration, allowing you to sink, but making it hard to escape. Quicksand is a non-Newtonian fluid made of sand mixed with water or air.
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