An experienced hiker was rescued after becoming trapped in quicksand for hours at Arches National Park in Utah on Sunday (December 7). Austin Dirks , who has logged thousands of miles on hiking trails, was trekking through Courthouse Wash when his left leg suddenly sank into what he thought was solid ground. He shifted his weight to his right leg, which also sank up to the knee, trapping him in the quicksand.

Dirks spoke to KSTU and described the experience as "the closest I’ve ever come to dying," noting that he initially thought of quicksand as a "folklore or a legend" rather than a real threat. Despite his extensive hiking experience, he had never encountered quicksand before. As he attempted to free himself, he realized that the sand was behaving like concrete, making it i

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