What started as a lighthearted moment turned into a terrifying ordeal for Sarah Darbyshire and her dog, Mr Bean, as they sank into quicksand on a South Australian beach. The incident occurred at Glenelg North beach, where the Holdfast Bay council has since erected warning signs about the treacherous patch of liquefied sand.
A Real-Life Indiana Jones Moment
Darbyshire described her experience as a real-life Indiana Jones moment. Unlike the iconic adventurer, who famously used his bullwhip or a snake to escape similar situations, Darbyshire had to rely on her own wits. She was recording a video of her walk with her Maltese dog to show her daughter how the hills they had climbed days earlier had been flattened. Initially amused by the sucking sand, her amusement quickly turned to fear as she realized how fast she was sinking.
In the video, her feet and her dog can be seen sinking into the sand. She repeatedly exclaims, 'Shit' and 'Oh my God,' and later recalled thinking, 'This is not how I'm going to go.'
Other Incidents at the Same Spot
Darbyshire managed to free herself without external help, but another woman, Madz June, was not as lucky. She needed four police officers and five firefighters to pull her out from the same location after she stepped over a stream and felt her leg become trapped. She described the sensation as having her legs 'vacuum sealed into a bag.' With the tide coming in, she called for help after 10 to 15 minutes.
Quicksand in Popular Culture
Quicksand has been a staple in movies from the 1950s to the early 2000s. Journalist Dan Engber noted that younger generations are no longer as afraid of quicksand as older people, in contrast to its frequent depiction in films. Notable scenes include Princess Buttercup stepping onto lightning sand in The Princess Bride, Atreyu losing his horse in the Swamp of Sadness in The Neverending Story, and Batman and Robin escaping strawberry-colored icing quicksand in a giant cake.
The Science Behind Quicksand
Quicksand is a mixture of sand, water, and clay. When pressure is applied, the water is forced out, causing the sand and clay to compact around the legs, trapping them. Dr. Benjy Marks, a senior lecturer in civil engineering at the University of Sydney, explained that quicksand is common after earthquakes but rare otherwise. It can also form when water wells up from below, destabilizing the sand. Unlike in movies, people are unlikely to be sucked completely under because sand is denser than the human body; they typically sink only to waist depth. The real danger lies in getting stuck when the tide is rising, as nearly happened to June.
How to Survive Quicksand
Experts advise against panicking. They recommend lying on your back and 'swimming' out of the pit, or rotating your legs slowly to reintroduce water between the sand and your legs. The Australian Academy of Science confirms that you won't drown in quicksand, but caution is essential. On Tuesday afternoon, wild weather and a high tide completely covered the beach, highlighting the potential risks.
