A man who appears to have been fishing with some friends ended up getting caught in quite a situation earlier this week! On Tuesday, June 10th, police in Minnesota got a call about a man who was stuck in some quicksand.

Yes, quicksand in Minnesota!

So often, we only hear about quicksand in movies or at least in other states. But as it turns out, Minnesota actually has some perfect spots for quicksand to form.

ALSO READ: New Study Says You Need to Make Nearly $100k to Live Comfortably in MN

What is Quicksand and How Does it Form?

ZME Science writes that "quicksand is made of sand or very grainy soil that’s saturated with water." It may look like a solid, gel-like surface, but once that surface is disturbed, it will trap whatever caused the disturbance.

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The most likely circumstances when quicksand can form are "an underground reservoir can flow upward through loose sand" and the "grains literally float on top of the water."

Therefore, the most common places that quicksand forms are "riverbanks, beaches, lake shorelines, near underground springs or marshes." That's exactly why I said Minnesota is kind of the perfect spot for quicksand.

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Can You Drown in Quicksand?

No, it's not like in the movies where quicksand will swallow you up. ZME Science says that quicksand is usually no more than a few feet deep, so you won't drown in it. However, once you're stuck in there, you're really stuck.

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You either need help to be pulled out, which requires lots of force, or there's also the chance that you can get yourself out by doing what Eagle Creek shares:

  • Make yourself as light as possible—toss your bag, jacket, and shoes.
  • Try to take a few steps backwards.
  • Keep your arms up and out of the quicksand.
  • Try to reach for a branch or person’s hand to pull yourself out.
  • Take deep breaths.
  • Move slowly and deliberately.

Thankfully, this guy who was along the Minnesota River in Chaska had friends who called for help when he got trapped by quicksand.

Man Trapped in Quicksand in Chaska, Minnesota

The Chaska Police Department shared a video from when they rescued this man from quicksand along the Minnesota River on Tuesday.

In the video, you can see the man up to his chest in the quicksand. Scary!

Chaska police and members of the Chaska Fire Department came to help the guy. It took a whole chain of people to pull the man free, but eventually they got him out.

Check it out for yourself:

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Gallery Credit: Carly Ross