How to Survive Michigan Quicksand

Yes, quicksand is real.  We will tell you where quicksand can be found and how to escape it.

The inner child was awakened in many of us when we heard the news of a man getting swallowed up by quicksand in Leland, Michigan, last Thursday.  As a small child in the 80s, TV shows from Loony Toons to reruns of Gilligan's Island and the Monkeys had their stars struggling in quicksand at least once.

In the 90s and 2000s, it became clear to me that quicksand was a myth.  But now, I know better.

Get our free mobile app

In 2019, 12News.com reported on a man trapped in quicksand in Utah.  In that story, they point out that quicksand can be found in places where there is grainy soil.

Where Does Quicksand Exist?

• Riverbanks
• Marshes
• Lake shorelines
• Beaches
• Areas near underground springs

How To Escape Quicksand.

Britannica.com offers up this method if you don't have someone to help pull you out,

Lean back so that the weight of your body is distributed over a wider area. Moving won’t cause you to sink. In fact, slow back-and-forth movements can actually let water into the cavity around a trapped limb, loosening the quicksand’s hold.

Britannica, along with many other publications, says that your risk of dying like quicksand tragedies in movies and TV shows is nearly impossible.  However, if you are stuck deep in quicksand when the tide rolls in, you are at risk of drowning.

If you're like me, you feel like this quicksand situation came out of nowhere.  However, if you do an internet search for "stuck in quicksand," you will find recent reports from all over the country, including Michigan.

Be careful out there.  You don't have Scooby and the crew with the Mystery Machine to yell "Zoinks" and pull you out of the quicksand.

READ MORE: One Michigan City is Burying Its Power Lines; Here’s Why and How