How to Survive Falling Into Quicksand

picture this you're having a nice relaxing walk on a private beach without a care in the world all of a sudden your foot drops into a deep and mucky puddle you struggle to pull your leg out but it just won't budge before you know it you're sinking rapidly and half of your body is submerged in cold wet quicksand the more you struggle the more you sink talk about a terrible way to end a vacation but it doesn't have to be here's how to survive falling into quicksand you've probably seen people up to their neck in quicksand in the movies but in real life it's quite rare if you happen to slip in you'd likely just sink halfway most of the time quicksand isn't actually that deep but it can still be incredibly dangerous if you're trapped and there's no one around to help you you could suffer hypothermia dehydration or even suffocation you might also be an easy target for hungry predators and if you're close to the water watch out for the tides coming in or heavy rainfall hope you packed a snorkel how could you stay afloat in quicksand what signs of quicksand should you look out for and could you rescue yourself if you're all alone quicksand is found all over the planet but is most common near coastal areas marshes and riverbanks there's even dry quicksand that can be found in deserts unlike mud or regular sand quicksand is a non-newtonian fluid meaning it's solid in one state but if anything agitates it it quickly turns to liquid causing you to sink deeper and deeper so what should you do in this scenario step one stop moving first things first don't panic and don't move calm down and be as still as possible the more you move the deeper you will sink step two lighten the load if you have any bags jackets or anything heavy on you take them off and throw them away i'm sorry but it's you or the bling less weight means you'll sink less quickly step three grab on to something if you are with a friend grab their hand or grab hold of a tree branch nearby put as much weight as you can on the object you're holding on to this will slow down the sinking process and help you stay afloat step four lean back and wiggle your feet leaning back will increase your surface area making it harder for you to sink wiggling your feet will help liquefy the sand and help you free your legs once they're free start paddling backwards with your arms to move yourself to solid ground if your arms are stuck try rolling your body instead step five call for help if all else fails your voice might be the only thing that can save you call for help and if you can reach your phone dial 9-1-1 immediately you could suffocate if you're stuck in there for too long step 6 breathe deeply this will make your body more buoyant try to meditate and focus on your breath it's time to put those yoga classes to good use if you're lucky someone will come to the rescue but they need to be extra careful about pulling you out they could rip you in half if they pull too hard with quicksand being two times denser than humans its suction is incredibly strong the weight of the sand can also damage your nerves and muscles this is called crush syndrome and can lead to the release of compounds that can harm your kidneys so it's best to try and get your legs free and stay flat this will alleviate pressure on your muscles and organs and let you safely return to the surface dying from quicksand isn't common but it can still happen next time you're traveling educate yourself ahead of time about the dangers and risks in the surrounding area quicksand could be the least of your problems especially if you're lost in the amazon jungle in which case if you want to stay alive keep watching how to survive

Channel: How to Survive

Views: 11,946,926

Keywords: survive, how to survive, survival, survivalguide, what if, science, how to survive falling into quicksand, quicksand, survival guide, survival tips, life hacks, dangerous moments, survival rules, survival tactics, educational videos, documentaries, 2020, ridddle, stuck in quicksand, quicksand morray, morray quicksand, quick sand, escape, how to escape quicksand, survival kit, survive the warning, science documentary, how to, useful things, nature, safety, lifehacks, stuck

Id: Jcz1G5b33KQ

Length: 5min 37sec (337 seconds)

Published: Sun Jul 19 2020