On Sunday morning in Utah’s Arches National Park, experienced hiker Austin Dirks got trapped in quicksand during a solo hike. He says his left leg broke through what looked like solid ground and when he shifted his weight, his right leg sank to the knee. He later described the sensation as similar to stepping into concrete that hardened around his leg.
As Dirks worked to keep his knees above the surface, he was able to use his GPS satellite messenger to send his location to rescuers. Grand County Search and Rescue teams and emergency crews used a drone to pinpoint his position and made their way into the cold, shaded canyon.
Using a ladder and traction boards across the unstable ground, rescue workers were able to reach Dirks and safely free him. Incident commander John Marshall says quicksand encounters in Utah are uncommon, and Dirks adds that real quicksand behaves differently from what people see on television. Thanks to the quick response from rescuers, he was brought out without injury.
Source: NY POST
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