.Friday, February 6, 2009 ' 6:49 PM Y
What is quicksand?
Thinking about quicksand often strikes fear in people, since many believe that being caught in quicksand will result in drowning. This is actually not entirely right. People are lighter than quicksand, and if they do not struggle, they will quickly rise to the top.The term quicksand applies to sand that quickly allows one to sink into it.
People only usually drown in quicksand if they flail their arms and legs about. This makes them sink because they are literally helping the quicksand split apart. Furthermore, quicksand is not a bottomless pit that will suck one down to the earth’s core. In fact, some quicksand is very shallow. I noticed that sometimes it’s a lot easier to get into water, than to get out of water,maybe this applies to quicksand as well. This is because the density of the water or of quicksand creates a vacuum-like effect.
What is the best way to get out of it?
Actully,there are quite a number of ways to get get out of it but i think this is the best solution
If you panic you can sink further, but if you relax, your body's buoyancy will cause you to float.
Breathe deeply to help you remain calm, it will also make you more buoyant. Keep as much air in your lungs as possible. It is impossible to "go under" if your lungs are full of air.
Get on your back. If you sink up to your hips or higher, bend backward. The more you spread out your weight, the harder it will be to sink. Float on your back while you slowly and carefully extricate your legs. Once your legs are free you can inch yourself to safety by using your arms to slowly and smoothly propel yourself. If you are very near the edge of the quicksand, you can roll to hard ground.
Take your time. If you're stuck in quicksand, frantic movements will only hurt your cause. Whatever you do, do it slowly. Slow movements will prevent you from agitating the quicksand—the vibrations caused by rapid movements can turn otherwise relatively firm ground into more quicksand.
