A hiker in Utah’s Arches National Park found himself trapped in quicksand on Sunday but was rescued unharmed after standing for hours in the near-freezing muck. The park, known for its natural sandstone arches and drawing over 1 million visitors annually, sees frequent accidents, though incidents involving quicksand are rare.
The hiker, whose identity was not released, was navigating a small canyon on the second day of a 20-mile (32-kilometer) backpacking trip when he sank up to his thighs. Unable to free himself, he activated an emergency satellite beacon, which alerted Grand County search and rescue teams. John Marshall, a veteran rescuer who had helped a similar case over a decade ago, arrived with a team equipped with all-terrain vehicles, ladders, traction boards, and a drone. The drone provided an aerial view as a park ranger tossed a shovel to the stranded hiker, though the quicksand flowed back as he tried to dig himself out.
Rescuers carefully positioned a ladder and boards to gradually free the hiker’s leg. After spending a couple of hours in temperatures in the 20s (−6 to −1 Celsius), he was warmed up and able to stand and walk out on his own, even carrying his backpack. Marshall noted that, contrary to dramatic portrayals in movies, quicksand is highly buoyant, and most people do not sink past their waist.
Marshall has extensive experience with such rescues, having aided a 78-year-old woman stuck in the same canyon in 2014 for over 13 hours. Both the hiker and the earlier victim made full recoveries, leaving the rescuer relieved and noting the fortunate outcomes.
