This looks like
a perfectly normal beach,
but one step
in the wrong direction
and you’ll be swallowed by
a pit of viscous sand.
And I hope you’ve been hitting
the gym
because pulling your own foot
out of this mess
would require the same force
as lifting a medium-sized car.
Could you do it before
you sink completely?
Quicksand is found near riverbanks,
beaches and lakes,
when sand gets saturated
with water.
This results in a mushy mixture
that can’t support any weight
and will engulf any object
that touches its surface.
Including you.
There are quicksand pits
all over the world,
and today we’ll show you
the absolute most
dangerous ones.
You best listen up
before you book
your next vacation.
Yes,
there's a desert right in the
middle of Europe
and it's an exceptionally
dangerous one.
Also known as the Polish Sahara,
it's 32 sq km (20 sq mi)
of deadly sinkholes.
If you happen to fall into one,
try to stay still.
The more you move and struggle,
the faster you’ll go down.
Try to lay on your back
with your arms and legs spread.
This will reduce the force you exert
on the quicksand
and prevent you
from sinking further.
This sludgy sinkhole
is the largest natural
sinkhole on Earth.
It expands
19,424.9 sq km (7,500 sq mi)
and is covered in salt marshes,
salt flats
and dunes
formed over thousands of years
as the rock slowly eroded
and winds from the Sahara
blew away the sand.
If you fall into the Depression,
don’t panic.
The quicksand has more density
than your body,
so you’ll float.
Despite being full
of draining rivers,
shift channels
and quicksand,
people still come to this bay
for a good fishing experience.
Although it can quickly
turn into a nightmare.
Strong currents create deep
quicksand pits
that change positions
almost daily,
making the landscape
incredibly unpredictable.
Karen Parkinson and her friends
were enjoying a day at Morecambe Bay
when they heard a warning siren
indicating the tide was rushing in.
As the group headed inland,
one of her friend’s daughters
became stuck on the beach.
As Parkinson and the girl’s mom
tried to free her,
they also got stuck.
It took a team of a dozen
coastguard mud rescuers
to save the three of them
from potentially drowning
just five minutes before the
tide came in.
This quicksand
is particularly treacherous.
It's surrounded by mud cracks
that make it look
completely stable.
The pits are located
within the canyon,
where it gets tremendously
warm during the day
and cold at night.
If you’re stuck here for a full day,
you can suffer from heat stroke,
and then hypothermia
could set in a few hours.
The key to surviving
Grand Staircase-Escalante
is to never go alone.
You’ll need someone to pull you out
or call for help
if you fall into viscous sand.
The area around the Broomway Trail
has killed over 100 people.
Nicknamed the Doomway,
it is half land, half sea
and can only be crossed
during low tide.
When high tide hits,
water covers everything
and the sand can become
extremely dangerous.
On top of that,
it can get quite foggy
and it’d be easy to get lost
or take one wrong step.
If you become trapped
in the quicksand,
you'll be up to your stomach
in water within minutes
and you might face the same
drowning fate
as Broomways hundred
other victims.
The tide comes full force
around 9 P.M.,
so you’ll really want
to get out of there before dusk.
These five places are deadly,
but this isn't the only way sand
can kill you.
Sand dunes are beautiful,
but
they can swallow you whole.
As always,
we can help you out of that one
here,
on How to Survive.