MAINE PUBLIC • June 6, 2024
The state said it will post signs at Popham Beach warning the public about saturated sand, or quicksand. A woman from the town of Poland reported on social media that during a walk on the beach Saturday she suddenly fell into the sand up to her hips and had to be pulled out by her husband. Jim Britt, spokesperson, for the Maine's Department of Agriculture, Conservation, and Forestry, said saturated sand is actually quite common. "Anywhere in Maine, up and down river banks, near favorite and fishing holes, etcetera, where you're going to find this unstable sand, you will sink and easily be able to relax, lean back, and wiggle yourself out," he said. Contrary to depiction in movies and TV, Britt said people who step into quicksand are not completely swallowed by it. He said the saturated sand at Popham is due to severe storms that caused erosion along the Morse River, changing its course.