A recent incident at George Popham Beach in Phippsburg, Maine, USA, has brought attention to the natural phenomenon of quicksand. A woman, while walking on the water's edge with her husband, fell into a sinkhole up to her hips. Her husband managed to pull her out before the hole disappeared.
Quicksand is a mixture of sand and water or air that appears solid but becomes unstable when disturbed. In this case, the sand was supersaturated due to climate change and rerouted river flow, making it more prone to collapse.
Despite the dramatic portrayals in Hollywood, people caught in quicksand remain buoyant and can wriggle themselves to safety. The Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation, and Forestry emphasized that the situation is survivable if one stays calm and wiggles their toes to get out.
The incident has sparked discussions on the exaggerated depiction of quicksand in popular media. From movies like 'Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull' to TV shows like 'Gilligan's Island,' quicksand has been portrayed as a terrifying trap.
However, experts explain that quicksand won't swallow a person whole and that the key is to remain calm and maneuver out of it. While the incident at George Popham Beach was a first for the department, saturated sand is a common occurrence.
As the story circulates on social media, many are reflecting on their childhood fears of quicksand, influenced by its portrayal in entertainment. Despite the fear-inducing depictions, real-life encounters with quicksand are manageable if approached with caution and composure.
