Maine Officials Warn of ‘Quicksand Sinkholes’ at State Beaches

Maine is full of some many different attractions for locals and tourists alike. From several different amusement parks to mountainous hikes and restaurants galore, there is no shortage of 'things to do' over the warm summer months here in the Pine Tree State.

One of the most popular attractions is the miles and miles of Maine's sandy (and rocky) beaches, however state officials are now sending out a warning about the sand at at least one of the most visited beaches in the state.

Over the last couple of weeks, many Maine residents have noticed a trend on social media where others have been sharing a post about an apparent quicksand situation at Maine's popular Popham Beach, and now Maine officials are speaking out about it.

According to an article published by WGME 13, Maine park rangers are warning of loose sand situations at the beach. While the sand isn't actual quicksand, it can quickly begin to feel like it. People have said they have gotten 'trapped' while standing in the sand at Popham.

The problem, according to Maine park rangers, is that higher than normal tides have caused some water to pool on the beach instead of receding back into the sea. This causes portions of the beach to become more saturated than normal and cause the sand to become 'unstable'.

Park Manager at Popham, Sean Vaillencourt, told WGME in part,

"We haven't had too many issues of it. A few people have stepped in and gone up to their knees or ankles or their waist. That's pretty typical around any river mouth. That sand is all full of water and saturated, so it's a lot looser. It's not a stable, flat bottom because there's so much water moving through the bottom of it, including the water that's coming in with the tide as well,"