Name: Quicksand traps hiker inside Arches National Park in Moab
Uploaded: 2025-12-09T03:11:05.305Z
Duration: 2 min 21 s
Description: A solo hiker in Arches National Park was rescued after becoming trapped knee-deep in quicksand before sunrise, enduring two hours in freezing conditions. Austin Dirks used a satellite messenger to alert rescuers, who say such incidents are extremely rare. The case highlights the importance of emergency communication devices and preparation on remote desert trails.

A solo hiker in Arches National Park was rescued after becoming trapped knee-deep in quicksand before sunrise, enduring two hours in freezing conditions. Austin Dirks used a satellite messenger to alert rescuers, who say such incidents are extremely rare. The case highlights the importance of emergency communication devices and preparation on remote desert trails.

Moab

An experienced hiker, Austin Dirks, became trapped in quicksand while hiking Courthouse Wash at Arches National Park in Moab, Utah. Dirks, who has hiked thousands of desert miles, was stuck for two hours before being rescued after using a GPS satellite messenger to alert authorities to his location.

Quicksand rescues are extremely rare in the area, with only one other known incident on the same trail in 2014. Search and rescue officials emphasize the importance of carrying essential gear, having a way to communicate your location, and ensuring someone knows your hiking plans, especially in remote or potentially hazardous areas.

Quicksand traps hiker inside Arches National Park in Moab

If you grew up watching cartoons like Scooby Doo and Bugs Bunny, you probably ended up with an ingrained fear of walking along a trail like this and ending up in quicksand. But for one person at Arches National Park, that cartoon fear became a reality. Before this trip, I honestly thought quicksand was more of a folklore or a legend. Austin Dirks is not a novice hiker. I've hiked thousands of miles through the desert. But not like the one he was hiking in Courthouse Wash at Arches National Park on Sunday. It was my left leg that went through first. I was able to pull it out and then I shifted all my weight to my right foot and I sunk up to the knee. But it felt like I had stepped into concrete and then it hardened around my leg. I couldn't even move it a millimeter. He was thinking hypothermia was set in. It's cold at night and to spend it in cold water for a long period of time, that has serious consequences. Scott Sully with Grand Canyon Search and Rescue says quicksand rescues are extremely rare. But he says what's not rare are all the times they have to go rescue hikers for any reason. There's one other quicksand rescue he knows of, a woman getting stuck for 13 hours in July 2014 on the same trail. For Dirks, it was a two-hour ordeal stuck in a 45-degree angle he compares to bending forward in a ski boot. But he says he was prepared with a GPS satellite messenger that was able to reach authorities with his exact location. He says the time after that message was sent was the scariest until he saw that search and rescue drone. Sully says having a way for people to locate you is one way to prepare for quicksand and for any hiking emergency. As long as you don't panic and stay put. We would really rather just, if you need to call 911, hit the SOS button on your satellite device if you have it, because that will tell us exactly where you're at. Sully and Dirks say because it's rare, there isn't any good advice to avoid quicksand catastrophes. But you should be aware of the possibility if you're going into an area where the ground looks like it has moisture. The best advice is carry the essentials and make sure someone knows where you are. Dirks says he's thankful for both his locator and his rescuers. I realize that's the closest I've ever come to dying. I literally owe my life to them. From St. George, Chris Reid, FOX 13 News, Utah.

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