Supersaturated Sand Is to Blame
When people think of quicksand, they often remember “lightning sand,” one of the three terrors of the Fire Swamp in “The Princess Bride.” Buttercup, another woman swallowed by quicksand, was rescued by Wesley. The frightening occurrence only happens in the movies, right?
In fact, Jim Britt, spokesperson for the Main Department of Agriculture, Conservation, and Forestry, referred to a movie production when answering questions about the actual occurrence of quicksand.
“People hear the word quicksand they think jungle movie. The reality with this supersaturated sand is you’re not going to go under,” Britt told the AP.
Quicksand, or supersaturated sand, is a real and common thing. In this case, a series of storms in Maine rerouted a river that typically goes directly into the ocean. The river water continued to saturate and soften the sand on the beach.
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Thankfully, people remain buoyant when caught in supersaturated sand. They don’t continue to sink, making it possible for them to squirm free.
“The rule is stay calm,” Britt told WCSH. “Lean back. Find your way back.”
Manager of Popham Beach for Maine’s Bureau of Parks and Land Sean Vaillancourt echoed the advice to remain calm.
“Just take your time and crawl out if you have to,” Vaillancourt told WFXT. “You can also lean forward or back in a floating position. The more you can disperse your weight over that, the more you can move freely.”
While it is possible to break free from quicksand if you’re alone, Acord was thankful her husband was right there to help her climb out.
