We’ve all seen the action films where quicksand swallows its victims whole. In
reality, quicksand doesn’t suck people under the way it always seems to in the
movies, but it is difficult to get out of and can be extremely dangerous. Quicksand is
a mixture of sand or silt and water that is typically found on riverbanks, near lakes,
in marches, or near coastal areas. It is not usually a problem at Zion, but quicksand
can form there when the conditions are right.
Fatalities from cold water immersion occur every year – even in swimmers looking to cool off in Lake Tahoe during a hot summer day! Most people believe that hypothermia is going to kill them within 5 minutes of immersion and so they panic and drown. Learn what to do should you fall into cold water.
A person with moderate hypothermia will have an altered mental status and will eventually stop shivering as they use up their energy reserves. If they lose vasomotor tone, the hypothermic patient may feel overheated and want to take off their clothing/layers as warm blood from the core suddenly floods the extremities.
Prevention is the most important action to ensure survival in avalanche terrain (see tips below), but we can potentially save lives with rapid rescue and appropriate resuscitation of avalanche victims.
