I was flipping channels the other night when a question was asked. What did you fear most as a kid? There were a variety of answers but one of the answers was quicksand.
I immediately concurred. Quicksand was fear of mine for no particular reason other than as a kid I had heard horror stories of this person or that getting stuck, and even some not being able to get out without the help of emergency personnel.
I carefully watched my step when I hunted for bullfrogs in local swamps. I vividly remember a friend getting stuck in a swam nearly knee deep. It took us an hour to dig him out. It happened again, in a marshy area while fishing, This time I was the one that needed assistance.
Then as my quicksand thoughts waned, I saw a photo and read a post on social media about a man who was stuck waist deep in quicksand and was fearing for his life waiting for emergency personnel to arrive. The photo went viral, with thousands of people viewing O’Brien stuck in quicksand.
Mitchell O’Brien and Breanne Sika, co-workers at a recovery center in Traverse City, who were kind of dating were hunting for an unusual blue slag at sunset on Lake Michigan in Leland, when they encountered a large pipe snaking across the beach, spewing slurry from a hydraulic sledge that was vacuuming sand from the harbor bottom.
The hydraulic sledge is owned by Lelant Township, which periodically dredges the harbor. This year they are removing 60,000 cubic yards of sand, that they will in turn use to build up area beaches.
O’Brien stepped into the area where the sledge was spewing, and presto, he was knee deep in quicksand. O’Brien said, It didn’t look that bad. It just looked like wet sand. Most of it was firm enough to walk on. Then all of a sudden, I was in a quicksand hole.”
He added, “Man I was stuck stuck- like my left leg, I couldn’t move it, it’s like there was something holding it underground. It was crazy how hard it was there.”
His partner called 9-1-1. Hampered by poor cell phone reception, the dispatcher hung up on her, mistaking her for a telemarketer. Finally she got through, and she said, “my boyfriend is stuck in the sand.”
At that point, O’Brien, in quicksand, said it was a defining moment in their relationship. No longer were they co-workers, they were a romantic couple. Love was found, not over an expensive dinner, but as a boyfriend was sinking in quicksand. Certainly, a story for the grandkids.
A few minutes later emergency responders arrived, dug around his body a little, and freed him with a rope lasso. It didn’t take long, the responders, although never having encountered this situation previously, were able to bring O’Brien to safety.
So, what were your greatest fears? And as an adult have you overcome this? Shoot me an email at wilcoxnewspapers@gmail.com. I’d love to hear from you.
