Zachary Porter Illinois man drowns after getting sucked into quicksand silt in Alaska wetland as rising tide came in as efforts to remove trapped man failed.
“It was too much to resist…” A 20-year-old Illinois college student on what was supposed to be a ‘much anticipated adventure’ died after getting stuck in quicksand-like silt at an Alaska estuary and drown as high tide proceeded to come in.
Zachary Porter, of Lake Bluff, Illinois, was walking on the mud flats at the treacherous Turnagain Arm — a 48-mile-long estuary carved out by glaciers — with friends on Sunday evening when he got sucked into the silt, according to Alaska State Troopers spokesperson Austin McDaniel.
Despite efforts by firefighters and the hapless man’s friends to free him from the mud, the incoming tide submerged Porter.
Fraught expedition
At low tide, the estuary is known for its picturesque but dangerous mud flats made of silt created by glacier-pulverized rocks.
At least three other people have gotten stuck and drowned there over the years. Many others have been rescued, including a fisherman two weeks ago.
Such expeditions are often fraught with risk and danger, while offering an unyielding spectacle up close upon forbidden quarters.
Just before 6 p.m. Sunday, Porter was walking with a group of friends across the mud flats when he found himself stuck between 50 to 100 feet from shore.
One of his friends immediately called 911 as the rest tried to pull him to safety.
By the time the first rescuers arrived, the 20-year-old was already waist-deep in the mud, the Anchorage Daily News reported.
Multiple fire crews from the surrounding area and two air ambulances responded to the scene. But despite their efforts, the tide submerged him just before 6:45 p.m., officials said.
One of Porter’s friends who tried to save him was airlifted to a hospital in Anchorage to be treated for hypothermia, according to troopers.
The victim’s body was recovered from the mud flats around 6 a.m. the following day according to an official dispatch release.
‘It’s big, it’s amazing, it’s beautiful, and it’s overwhelming,‘ Kristy Peterson, the administrator and lead EMT for the Hope-Sunrise Volunteer Fire Department, said of Alaska, ABC7 Chicago reported.
‘But you have to remember that it’s Mother Nature, and she has no mercy for humanity.’
The accident occurred near the town of Hope, a community of about 80 people located just 22 miles — but a 90-minute drive — from Anchorage.
‘It looks like it’s solid, but it’s not.’
The Turnagain Arm estuary travels southeast from the Anchorage area and parallels the Seward Highway, the only highway that goes south and delivers tourists from Anchorage to the Kenai Peninsula.
At low tide, Turnagain Arm is known for its mud flats that ‘can suck you down,’ according to Peterson. ‘It looks like it’s solid, but it’s not.’
When the tide comes back in, the silt gets wet from the bottom, loosens up and can create a vacuum if a person walks on it.
Signs are posted warning people to stay away from hazardous waters and mud flats.
‘I’ve really got to warn people against playing the mud,’ Peterson said. ‘It’s dangerous.’
