45 Watch Out for Quicksand!

While hiking in the swamplands of Florida, Fred Sash watched Jack Pickett disappear beneath his eyes. Pickett had stepped onto what looked like an innocent patch of dry sand and then started to sink. Within fifteen minutes, Pickett had disappeared completely beneath the surface.

Pickett was a victim of quicksand. If you think quicksand is something found only in adventure novels or films, you're making a big mistake. And that mistake could cost your life.

Geologist Gerard Matthes, who once escaped from quicksand himself, always gave this message to hikers: "Anyone who ever walks off the pavement should learn about quicksand." It can be found almost anywhere.

Here are some of Matthes's tips on how to prevent being helplessly sucked under by quicksand. First of all, if you step into quicksand that is firm enough, you may be able to run out. But you have to move fast. If, however, the sand pulls your legs in too quickly for you to escape this way, throw yourself flat on your back. That's right—you can actually float in quicksand. Don't make the common mistake of raising your arms. Resting on the surface, your arms can help you to float. Any movements that make you sink should be slow, just as Jack Pickett was. Jerky movements can cause you to be completely sucked in, and Jack Pickett was. Try doing a slow breaststroke or slowly rolling yourself to firm ground. Above all, don't panic.

在佛罗里达的沼泽地徒步旅行时，弗雷德·萨什看着杰克·皮克特在自己眼前消失了。皮克特踩到了一块看起来毫无异样的干沙地上，然后开始下沉。十五分钟内，皮克特就完全消失在地表之下了。

皮克特成了流沙的受害者。如果你认为流沙只存在于冒险小说或电影中，那你就大错特错了，而且这个错误可能会让你付出生命的代价。

地质学家杰拉德·马西斯曾亲自从流沙中逃脱，他总是给徒步旅行者这样的忠告：“任何离开人行道行走的人都应该了解流沙，它几乎无处不在。”

以下是马西斯关于如何防止被流沙无助地吞噬的一些建议。首先，如果你踩到的流沙足够结实，你或许可以跑出来，但你必须动作迅速。然而，如果沙子太快地把你的腿吸进去，让你无法用这种方式逃脱，那就仰面平躺在沙地上。没错，你其实可以在流沙中漂浮。不要犯那种常见的抬起手臂的错误，当你浮在表面时，手臂可以帮助你保持漂浮。任何会让你下沉的动作都应该缓慢，就像杰克·皮克特那样。急促的动作会导致你被完全吸入，杰克·皮克特就是如此。试着做缓慢的蛙泳动作，或者慢慢滚动到结实的地面上。最重要的是，不要惊慌。