Quick sand is not really a special type of sand, it is actually a condition that is happening to the sand.
There is an insistent flow of water beneath the surface, often an underground spring, that weakens them and thus, lifting the grains apart.
Each grain of sand is surrounded by a thin film of water and as they lose friction with each other, the solid mass breaks asunder.
The water is not strong enough to completely disperse the sand and the resultant soupy pool therefore can look like solid ground.
Good places to find quicksand are on ocean coasts, near sandy creek beds and area of sand over an impervious clay substructure.
Another good place to find quicksand is in hilly country with abundant caves and underground springs lurking beneath.
Most patches of quicksand are only a few inches to several feet deep. And quicksand does not pull its victim down to lethal depths like a deranged Hoover. It is, however, possible to perish in quicksand but you really have to work at it.
Should you stumble into quicksand you will sink just as you sink in water. If the quicksand is shallow, you can retrace your steps and extricate yourself from the sandy tentacles.
But if the quicksand is deeper there is still little to worry about. Since the water is slightly more dense than than the human body it is possible to float in quicksand.
In fact, since quicksand is saturated with liquid it is far heavier than water and will allow you to float even higher, provided you move slowly and allow the sandy potion to flow under your body.
