Content

• Steps
• Method 1 of 3: Part One: Freeing Your Legs
• Method 2 of 3: Part Two: Getting Out of the Deep Quicksand
• Method 3 of 3: Part Three: Avoiding Quicksand
• Tips
• Warnings
• What do you need

You walked in the desert, thoughtful and suddenly found yourself in quicksand, quickly sinking to the bottom. Certain death in the mud? Not really. Quicksand is not even nearly as dangerous as it looks in the movies, although it is quite real. Any sand or silt can temporarily become quivering if sufficiently saturated with water and / or subject to vibrations such as during an earthquake. Here's what to do if you go down.

Steps

Method 1 of 3: Part One: Freeing Your Legs

1. 1 Reset everything. If you stepped on with your backpack on or with something heavy in your hands, immediately remove your backpack or throw whatever you are carrying. Since your body is less dense than quicksand, you will not drown completely unless you panic and try to climb out too fiercely, or if you are overwhelmed by something heavy.
   • If you can get out of your shoes, do it. Shoes, especially those with flat, stiff soles (like many shoe models), create a vacuum when you try to pull them out of the quicksand. If you know in advance that there is a high probability of getting into quicksand, take off your boots and walk either barefoot or in shoes that can be easily removed.
2. 2 Move horizontally. If you feel stuck, take a couple of quick steps back before the quicksand immobilizes you. It usually takes a few minutes for the mixture to flow, so the best way to get out is to not get bogged down in the sand at all.
   • If your feet are still bogged down, do not take large and abrupt steps in an attempt to free yourself. By taking a big step forward, you can free one foot, but your other foot will sink even deeper, and full release will become extremely difficult.
3. 3 Lie on your back. If your legs are sinking very quickly, sit down and lean back. Increasing your contact area should help you free your legs by eliminating the pressure they create and keeping them afloat. When you feel your legs begin to come loose, roll away from the sands and free yourself from their grip. You will find yourself head over heels in mud, but this is the quickest and safest way to get out.
4. 4 Do not hurry. If you are stuck in quicksand, panic movements will only hurt your attempts to get out. Whatever you do, do it slowly. Slow movements prevent quicksand from stirring: vibrations caused by fast movements can turn relatively hard ground into additional quicksand.
   • More importantly, quicksand can react completely unpredictably to your movements. If you move slowly, it will be easier for you to stop the unfavorable process and prevent further diving. You will need to be patient. Depending on how much quicksand is around you, it can take a few minutes to several hours to slowly and methodically release it.

Method 2 of 3: Part Two: Getting Out of the Deep Quicksand

1. 1 Relax. Quicksand is never deeper than a meter, but if you come across a particularly deep area, then you can quickly dive into the sand up to your waist or chest. If you panic, you can go deeper, but if you relax, your body's buoyancy will keep you from drowning.
   • Breathe deeply. Deep breathing will not only help you stay calm, it will also increase your buoyancy. Fill your lungs with as much air as possible. You cannot "go to the bottom" if your lungs are full of air.
2. 2 Lie on your back and swim. If you are hip-deep or higher, lean back. The more you distribute your weight over the surface, the more difficult it will be for you to drown. Swim on your back, releasing your legs slowly and carefully. Once you release them, you can begin a gentle movement towards a safe area, slowly and smoothly moving backward with hand strokes, as if you were swimming. When you get to the quicksand boundary, you can roll onto solid ground.
3. 3 Use a cane. When in a quicksand area, walk with a cane. When you feel your ankles begin to sink, place the pole on the quicksand, horizontally behind you. Lie on your back on a pole. After a couple of minutes, you will reach balance on the quicksand and stop sinking. Push the pole towards the new position; move it under your hips.The pole will prevent your hips from sinking, so you can slowly release one leg first and then the other.
   • Stay on your back with your arms and legs touching the quicksand and use the probing pole. Move slowly on either side along the pole until you reach solid ground.
4. 4 Take frequent breaks. Getting out of the quicksand can get you tired from work.
   • However, you need to move quickly, as the pressure of the sand can block the flow of blood and cause nerve damage, causing your legs to go numb and making it impossible to get out without help.
   • Contrary to popular movies and television, most quicksand deaths are not due to being sucked in, but due to attendant hazards such as high tide.

Method 3 of 3: Part Three: Avoiding Quicksand

1. 1 Explore areas where quicksand is common. Since quicksand is not a special kind of soil, it can form anywhere where groundwater mixes with sandy soil to form a watery substance. As you learn to recognize where quicksand can be expected, you will find that the best way to avoid getting bogged down in quicksand is to spot it early. Quicksand is most commonly found on:
   • Tidal shallows
   • Swamps and swamps
   • Near the shores of lakes
   • Underground springs
2. 2 Beware of undulating bumps. Watch out for ground that seems unstable and damp, or sand that has an unnatural undulating surface. If you are careful while walking, you can see water seeping out of the sand, making the quicksand quite visible.
3. 3 Test the ground in front of you with your cane. Always walk with a massive cane to use it both when you get stuck in quicksand and to check the ground in front of you. The few seconds you spend probing the soil with your cane can save you a hard fight with the lake of quicksand and ensure a safe walk.

Tips

• If you are walking with someone in an area where you are likely to encounter quicksand, take a 10m rope with you. In this case, if one of you falls, the other can, standing safely on solid ground, pull him or her out. If the person on solid ground is not strong enough to pull the victim, the rope should be tied to a tree or other stationary object so that the victim can pull himself out.
• Relax your head and do not strain it for as long as possible.

Warnings

• If you decide to walk barefoot, be aware that this will not protect you from quicksand, but it can leave you vulnerable to parasites that enter your body through your skin, such as hookworms.

What do you need

• Sturdy cane
• Rope
• Floating device