Getting trapped in quicksand is usually just a dumb movie plot but it actually happened to a hiker in Utah’s Arches National Park. The park is famous for dozens of natural sandstone arches and gets over one million visitors a year. Usually accidents range from falls to hear stroke and are pretty common.
Quicksand is not among the common accidents but it has happened a couple of times now. “The wet sand just kind of flows back in. It’s kind of a never ending battle” said John Marshall who helped a woman stuck in quicksand over a decade ago and also coordinated the latest rescue.
On Sunday an experienced hiker whose identity is anonymous as of now was hiking along a small canyon on the second day of a twenty mile backpacking trip when he sank up to his thigh, according to Marshall. Unable to free himself the hiker activated an emergency satellite beacon. His message was forwarded to Grand County emergency responders and Marshall got the call at 7:15 A.M.
“I was just rolling out of bed,” Marshall said. “I’m scratching my head going “Did I hear that right? Did they say quicksand?”. He put on his boots and called up a team then set out with all terrain vehicles, a ladder, traction boards, backboards, and a drone. He was then able to have a birds eye view of the situation.
The Grand County Search and Rescue team positioned the ladder and boards near the backpacker and slowly worked his leg loose. By then he’s been standing in the close to freezing muck which was in temperatures in the 20’s for a couple of hours.
Rescuers warmed him up until he could stand then walk. He then hiked out on his own even carrying his backpack said Marshall. Quicksand is dangerous but it’s a myth total submersion is the main risk.
“In quicksand you’re extremely buoyant,” he said “Most people won’t sink past their waist in quicksand.” said Marshall.
