We have all witnessed it in a movie. Someone is stuck in quicksand and asks for help from those around him; But the more it struggles, the more it sinks and eventually it sinks completely into the swamp.
Swamps became a common cliché of Hollywood productions during the post-war boom in action-packed films. According to Slate, about 3 percent of films in the 1960s featured a character sinking in mud or quicksand. Probably the most famous encounter with swamps was in the 1962 classic Lawrence of Arabia.
This stereotype remained oddly prevalent into the 1980s, appearing in roughly one in every 75 new movies. He has appeared countless times in movies such as The Princess Bride and The NeverEnding Story, as well as cartoons such as Transformers and GI Joe.
But is it that easy for a person to sink into the swamp? The truth is that it is extremely difficult for a person to sink completely into the swamp. An experiment by Dutch scientists published in the journal Nature in 2005 found that humans are about half as dense as a swamp, meaning they technically wouldn’t sink unless they struggled and buried themselves. The most important advice for survival is to get rid of any belongings you have on you, such as a backpack. Most swamp-related fatalities occur when people become stuck in the ground and succumb to other factors, such as dehydration, hypothermia, or drowning due to the tide.
Now, if you ever find yourself stuck in a quagmire, there are a few tips that can help you get out of the situation. First and foremost, you should not panic. Struggling or trying to pull yourself out will likely cause your body to sink further, which isn’t very pleasant.
On the other hand, although it may seem counterintuitive, it is recommended that you lean back and lie down to spread your weight more evenly. This is a move that will theoretically help you stay afloat and not sink. The smartest thing you can do is find help as quickly as possible. That’s why it is necessary to act quickly and calmly.
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