Bear Grylls used this ingenious method to survive when he got stuck in quicksand

Getting stuck in quicksand is one of the scenarios anyone would be terrified of while venturing into the wild. Bear Grylls is one TV personality who has inspired an entire generation to be adventurous and survive in every condition using their presence of mind and knowledge of their surroundings. Known as the creator of “Man vs Wild,” Grylls shared an eye-opening guide to effectively dealing with quicksand should someone find themselves stuck in it, as per Outdoor.

The man who is known for embarking on dangerous adventures and successfully getting out of tricky situations, shared simple tips after debunking the popular myth that a person can completely sink in quicksand. Grylls revealed that the human body is twice as dense as quicksand and will sink only up to the chest at the most. However, depending on various factors such as the tides and the strength of quicksand, one is at risk of drowning to death. The first thing he tells people to do is to avoid panicking. Since movement in case of a flood is likely to cause the person to sink quickly, one must remain calm.  

“Disturb it more violently and it becomes more viscous, more difficult to escape. That means that the more you fight it, the more it resists you. Each time you pull up your leg, you’ll find that suction drags it back down again. You won’t drown, but you will be stuck,” the survivalist said, per How to Stay Alive. Another thing many people can think of is grabbing the person nearest to them in an attempt to get out. Grylls advises against this and says, "Unless you have no other option, that’s not a good move. Firstly, you risk dragging the other person into the quicksand, which will mean two of you in the same situation. Secondly, it’s easy to dislocate a shoulder if your companion is pulling you one way and the quicksand is pulling you another."

Grylls suggested distributing one’s weight evenly to make a larger space. This will reduce the sinking time and create more opportunities to escape. This should be followed by swimming or climbing steps. “Take your time and be patient. It is multiple small, slow, controlled, correct movements that will eventually allow you to escape,” he said, describing the entire process that will eventually get a person out of quicksand. The idea behind his method is to start freeing oneself from the quicksand, starting with the legs.

Once the movements free the legs, a person can move upward with a breaststroke position to reduce the risk of sinking. Once that is done, one can get themselves slowly to the edge of the quicksand and eventually to the surface. The next step is to use a rope or strong stick in order to pull oneself out. It may not be that simple, is definitely scary and requires a lot of patience, but this tried and tested method seems like the smarter one to follow.