Utah hiker’s terrifying brush with quicksand shows it’s more than just Hollywood fiction: “It’s kind of a never-ending battle”

Despite it being featured in the movies for dramatic rescue scenes, you rarely hear of people getting trapped in quicksand. This has led some to believe that it is more of a folklore or legend than a real thing as was the case for Austin Dirks.

However, the experienced hiker found out the hard way that quicksand is very much a real danger when his leg plunged into the liquid earth while trekking through Utah’s Arches National Park. He fortunately was able to call for help and rescue services managed to free him from his hours’ long ordeal in below freezing temperatures.

Emergency beacon helped save his life

Dirks was hiking along a small canyon early in the morning when his left leg sunk into the ground. He managed to free his leg but in the process his right leg was swallowed by the muck up to his thigh.

This time he couldn’t get his leg out. “It felt like I had stepped into concrete, and then it hardened around my leg. I couldn’t even move it a millimeter,” Dirks told local FOX 13 News.

Furthermore, every time he dug out some of the sand, it would immediately rush back into the hole. “The wet sand just kind of flows back in. It’s kind of a never-ending battle,” said John Marshall, who led the rescue operation by the Grand County Search and Rescue team.

After several minutes of trying to escape his predicament, he activated his emergency satellite beacon and sent a message that he needed help. The rescue party found him about two hours after he had sunk into the quicksand and went about digging him out.

“If you have to call 911, hit the SOS button on your satellite device, if you have it,” said Scott Sully with Grand County Search and Rescue. “Because that will tell us exactly where you’re at.”

Dirks’ life was at risk, but not from being swallowed completely by the quicksand

Dirks feared that he could’ve lost his leg or worse died of hypothermia as the temperatures were in the 20s. However, he was never at risk of sinking completely into the quicksand over his head.

“In quicksand you’re extremely buoyant. Most people won’t sink past their waist in quicksand,” Marshall explained.

Get your game on! Whether you’re into NFL touchdowns, NBA buzzer-beaters, world-class soccer goals, or MLB home runs, our app has it all.

Dive into live coverage, expert insights, breaking news, exclusive videos, and more – plus, stay updated on the latest in current affairs and entertainment. Download now for all-access coverage, right at your fingertips – anytime, anywhere.