Escape from Quicksand: Real incident

Trap in quicksand is dreadful experience and it may turn to life threating if we do not have knowledge to come out or we fail to use our intelligence and emergency reaction to escape from this deadly situation. 

It is normally told to us from our elders that we should be alert while travelling to hilly, muddy or any challenging landscape. We as a human are adventurous, creative and challenges accepting creature. But some of us are busy with our professional schedule and do not have dearth knowledge of managing situations aroused due to horrific weather conditions or sometimes we may get trapped in quicksand while adventurous visit or on a family trip and enjoying natural scenery in hills, valleys or near water fall. Quicksand is simply regular sand that has been soaked with water to the point that it becomes a thick, muddy pool which cannot support weight.

First of all, it is imperative to know where quicksand develops. Generally, quicksand is found throughout the United States, India or other countries, particularly in the coastal region, inland on riverbanks, lakes and other freshwater, and in marshes. It can also be moulded anywhere that hidden underground water escapes. This condition is developed in saturated thick layers of loose fine sandy soils when the land is troubled either due to vibration, such as, from pile driving in the neighbourhood, or due to pressure of flowing water.

We as visitors may recognize quicksand through observing the upper surface. Quicksand looks like regular sand that has been soaked with water and it becomes a thick, muddy pool which cannot support weight. In other words, it is a liquid sand.

Here are some important smart ways with logic to escape from quicksand if trapped in to it.

-      As it is always advised by our elders, parents and teachers that when trapped in dangerous or complicated situation, we should not get panic. Though, it is natural human reaction and some persons do not have control over it. But it is sternly recommended that panic reaction while trapped in quicksand may lead to death bed.

Therefore visitors, travellers or students if by chance gripped under quicksand must first calmly assess the situation and if they think they are in real danger, they must call for help. Panic action or thrashing around may increase chance of deep sinking in quicksand.

There are some major grounds for people to loss their life while trapped in quicksand. That is they create panic around them and irrational fear to die. If people maintain psychological balance, it can be life saver.

-      Another smart action while trapped in quicksand is to unstrap any heavy things wearing or holding with you as these accessories will push into quicksand.  If a person unloads its baggage or other thing, there are less chances of sinking in quicksand speedily.

-     If persons cannot find any dry land near quicksand in which they are trapped and nobody is near to offer aid, then it is advisable to slightly lean back and put more of their upper body in the quicksand. This will help them to float in quicksand and there are bright chances of survival. After leaning back, person must bring his legs upwards in slow motion.

There is true incident occurred when we made a pleasure trip to River Narmada bank.

Narmada River flows in Hoshangabad, MP State of Central India. It is one of the holy river and we planned to enjoy near river bank. Me and my husband along with my two teenaged daughters were enjoying the natural scenes, waves of river and surrounding landscape. In river there were less water and we were seeing some rock land in between river water. We were excited to go to collect some typical stone. My husband and daughters were slightly far away from me and they were playing on mid river dry land. They were collecting stones and playing with water but I was slightly behind. Suddenly I thought that I should go back. I did not know why I did so.

I was moving on river bank quickly or it can be said blindly. Suddenly, I realized that my sleepers were trapped in wet land. Initially, it terrorized me but soon I sensed that I am in danger as my feet were also dipping in quicksand. Firstly, I slightly tried to pull my sleepers but failed to do so. Therefore I kept myself stand still. My husband and daughters were far from me. At that moment I assessed that how much area quicksand has covered surrounding me. Because if I call for help, there are chances that others may get trapped. It was my will power or logical mind that was the gift of my parent’s genes that I calmly called them that my sleepers is trapped in mud. My husband and daughters came in normal tone though they knew that I had some problem but not that severe.

When they came near to me, my husband quickly understood it was quick sand and he immediately helped me to come out from deadly sinking land. After that we all thanked God for helping us to escape from dangerous situation.

Therefore balancing a mind and hope for surviving are two powerful tactics to come out from most of the dangerous situation.

It is always better to take some precautions while travelling to the places which have some adverse weather conditions or unfamiliar geography. When planning for a trip to forest, river bank or water fall point, it is good to carry wooden stick for safety and one must try to avoid walking in large muddy land.