Quicksand?

[haguebrook]

I was watching "Man vs. Wild" (my kid's favorite show), when Bear--the name of the ex-British Special Forces host--was about to cross a river when he ran into quicksand. He proceeded to extricate himself and the kids asked me if we had any quicksand in NE. I've been stuck in marsh mud, but never seen quicksand.

Any feedback on what to tell the little'uns?

[teflon_jones]

Quicksand technically is simply oversaturated sand. So yes, we do have it in New England.

Interesting note on quicksand, Mythbusters did a story on whether you can actually get swallowed up by it and found it's impossible. The human body is much more buoyant than oversaturated sand and they had a hard time getting themselves to sink past their chest. They just popped up like a cork when somebody pushed them down.

[FlyFishFrostie]

The real problem is when the tide comes back in. Not long ago in the news was a case where a young woman got stuck in the mud, her boyfriend went to get help, came back, the tide came in, they couldn't free her from the mud, and she drowned right before their eyes. To state the obvious: it's best to explore unfamiliar shorelines with a buddy AND on an outgoing tide.

[flyinsalt]

I saw a program on TV a few years ago about the same thing. I believe it was in Alaska where someone got stuck in the mud and before fire & rescue could get to them they drowned in the incoming tide. What a nightmare!

[dudley]

I came across some quicksand while bushwacking in the Green Mountains this past fall
All in the area surrounding a large spring
I poked a stick down into one of the visible pockets and it went down over three feet.
I backed off and skirted around the area by a wide margin. :eek:

The spring itself was a chrystal clear pool and was populated by a bunch of brook trout that had spawning redds around the edges.
Very cool to watch

[jim pod]

Unless you come across a pumping spring your chance of quicksand in New England is slim. But back in "82" I found a guy up to almost his armpits in the Kent Island marsh in a ditch in Newbury while duck hunting. He was about 20 mins. from being over his head. It took a lot of pulling by me and 3 other guys to pull his a$$ out. If you can't jump them ,turn back.

[PeterSorensen]

A few years back a fly fisherman was fishing on the inland side of the Duxbury bridge and wandered onto a mud flat where he became trapped. He was fishing alone at night and it was a coming tide. The only reason he is alive today is because a pedestrian on the bridge heard him screaming in the dark and called the police.

[DAQ]

There is quicksand at the bottom of the trenches at Scortons.

D

[albacized]

There is quicksand at the bottom of the trenches at Scortons.

D

In that case, if being able to walk across quicksand is anything like walking across water, then I must be a god or something --125-3

[ducatiboy]

Hockomock swamp in Bridewater/West Bridgewater,,,,watch out

[disco duck]

I saw a program on TV a few years ago about the same thing. I believe it was in Alaska where someone got stuck in the mud and before fire & rescue could get to them they drowned in the incoming tide. What a nightmare!


duck hunters die in cook inlet the way alot

my brother was on a little crick down here in maryland, and got stuck up too waist, lost both hip boots and had to walk home in his socks