Woman gets trapped in quicksand while walking on popular Maine beach

PHIPPSBURG, Maine — A woman sunk into the sand at a beach last weekend near Phippsburg, Maine.

Jamie Acord said that she was walking by the water at Popham Beach State Park last week when she sunk into the sand up to her waist, according to The Associated Press.

“I couldn’t feel the bottom,” she said. “I couldn’t find my footing.” Acord’s husband pulled her up within seconds, the AP reported.

At first, she and her husband had no idea what happened but eventually learned that it was quicksand and it could even happen in places like Maine.

Jim Britt, a spokesperson for the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry, said that those who get caught in quicksand don’t sink and are able to get themselves out, the AP reported.

“People hear the word quicksand they think jungle movie. The reality with this supersaturated sand is you’re not going to go under,” he said.

Sean Vaillancourt, who manages the beach for the state Bureau of Parks and Land, said that a warning is in effect at Popham Beach State Park, And he says if you get stuck in quicksand sinkholes, to remain as calm as possible, WFXT reported.

“Just take your time and crawl out if you have to,” Vaillancourt said, according to the news outlet. “You can also lean forward or back in a floating position. The more you can disperse your weight over that, the more you can move freely.”