Quicksand

As a young child I remember a spot along the lake edge where a sludge-like material lurked just below the sand, and if you stepped in the wrong place, down you'd go, and it sucked you in fast and hard.

Kids lost shoes, boots, and there were even emergency calls made to save a few kids who were on the verge of sinking to their deaths.
 
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A true Alaska tale.... in Alaska they call it glacial silt not quicksand!

One fall while guiding a moose hunt and walking the shoreline of the Tanana river in Alaska being the one on point because of the presence of bears I knew I was in trouble when my next step went into the mud up to my knee. Reacting slowly to this unexpected encounter as i stepped down with my other foot I sank to my waste.
The other guide moved the hunters back and then proceeded to throw all manor of tree branches to me. I bent over and laid down with my stomach across the mud hoping to slow my sinking any further. I gathered the branches up and inch by inch moved my body across them as i was pulled out on a rope the other guide had also thrown me.

The men we were guiding didn't waver in their determination
and we continued on our hunt
to a successful conclusion.

Thats me on the left....
hunt2.JPEG
 
A true Alaska tale.... in Alaska they call it glacial silt not quicksand!

One fall while guiding a moose hunt and walking the shoreline of the Tanana river in Alaska being the one on point because of the presence of bears I knew I was in trouble when my next step went into the mud up to my knee. Reacting slowly to this unexpected encounter as i stepped down with my other foot I sank to my waste.
The other guide moved the hunters back and then proceeded to throw all manor of tree branches to me. I bent over and laid down with my stomach across the mud hoping to slow my sinking any further. I gathered the branches up and inch by inch moved my body across them as i was pulled out on a rope the other guide had also thrown me.

The men we were guiding didn't waver in their determination
and we continued on our hunt
to a successful conclusion.

Thats me on the left....
View attachment 123525

WOW!!!!! All BRASS.
 
We have a "sort" of quicksand here in Florida around the springs. Water bubbling up through the limestone "aerates" the sand and makes it very "loose" (for lack of another term).

You'll be walking down a run off the spring on what seems like solid sand and bam! you're knee deep or even up to your waist in sand. You're standing on hard rock, so you're not going to sink further but you have to slog through the slushy sand until you get to solid sand.

It's creepy the first time it happens to you but it's sort of fun after that.
 


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