As a resident of Poland, Maine, Jamie Acord often visits Popham Seashore State Park, which is only a brief drive from the house that she shares with husband Patrick. Popham Seashore was one among her late father’s favourite locations, so she and her household would go there on the anniversary of his demise. “It is simply one of many good seashores to go to, not tremendous touristy,” she says.

However her current journey to the park on June 1 was notably memorable for various causes: whereas she and her husband had been strolling on the seashore that day, Jamie unexpectedly fell waist-deep into the sand. Fortuitously, Patrick was in a position to shortly pull Jamie out, who emerged with solely minor scratches. Park officers later stated a sequence of winter storms in Maine had shifted river water to the sand the place guests had been most apt to stroll on, which precipitated the collapse.

After getting again dwelling, Jamie shared what occurred to her on social media to tell household and pals to watch out whereas strolling the seashore, and the information of her expertise attracted media consideration. Right here, in her personal phrases, Jamie talks about her expertise, as informed to PEOPLE’s David Chiu.

On June 1, we bought to Popham Seashore round 3:30 or 4 p.m. We would stayed there for a number of hours, however had been heading again as a result of you’ll be able to solely keep on the seashore till sundown

We decide up trash each time we go to the seashore. It is one thing I’ve at all times accomplished with my youngsters: we’ll go away the seashore higher than we discovered it. Our bag was just about full that day when it was time to move dwelling.

Patrick and I had been strolling aspect by aspect, so that you could not have put one other foot in between us – that is how shut we had been. Then, round 6:30 p.m., I fell into the sand, and since I’m about 5 ‘4”, I used to be submerged as much as my waist.

I feel it was a type of issues the place neither one among us actually considered your complete state of affairs. It wasn’t like, “Ought to I pull you out?” or “If I am going to tug you out, will I fall in?” I used to be like, “I do not need to be right here, I am unable to get a footing. I can really feel my toes, however I am unable to really feel the bottom to get a footing and I am not having fun with this.”

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Patrick rotated and requested, “The place are your legs?” I used to be like, “I do not know, however I am unable to get out and I would like you to tug me out.” So he simply reached down and pulled me out. It solely took about 30 seconds to a minute. We rotated to see what I stepped in, what I fell in, and there was nothing there, it seemed identical to common seashore.

I had a few scratches on my toes and my leg, however I do not know if it is from after I went in or when Patrick pulled me out. However at that second, I feel I used to be extra in shock than something. It is like stepping right into a ball pit that basically solely goes thus far. I did not hit something exhausting, I did not land on something. I feel if I had hit backside, that most likely would’ve harm. However I simply went straight down and was utterly lined from my waist down in moist cement-like sand.

I by no means thought I used to be going to die. Oddly sufficient, my mind went, “Nicely, you are on the excessive tide waterline, the tide will not go above your head. You would possibly get just a little drink or two of some salt water, however no less than I am up excessive sufficient.” Had I been alone and on the low water line, had there been no person else on the seashore and the tide was coming in, I may need been screwed as a result of the place that space is, there isn’t any cell service, Even when it may have gotten to my telephone, there isn’t any calling anyone.

Initially, I believed perhaps it was a gap some youngsters had dug and crammed again in poorly. But when that is what it was, I would not have sunk that far. They’d’ve put the sand in it, even when they hadn’t packed it. My strolling on it could’ve packed it, after which I’d’ve tripped virtually and landed on my face.

It was a really surreal second. I did not actually know find out how to really feel and simply stored saying, “I am unable to imagine I fell in.” I am 47. I have been going to that seashore since I used to be a child. It is by no means ever occurred earlier than, not even shut.

Proper after Patrick pulled me out, a husband and spouse and their daughter walked previous us and I gave them a heads up.

And once we bought to the car parking zone and the bathhouses, the park ranger and a lifeguard had been there. So I informed them what occurred. They’re like, “Yeah, we have had some reviews of quicksand, however nothing like what you are describing.” And I went, “Okay, nicely, it occurred.”

The ranger stated due to the huge flooding final 12 months, the river now curls across the entrance of the seashore, making the sand tremendous saturated.

At first, I did not inform anyone what occurred once we returned dwelling.  My husband and I joked about it in the home. However most likely a day and a half later, I shared what occurred to me on social media. All of my pals go to Popham and so they have a lot youthful kids or grandkids. So for those who’re taking your babies, that is going to be a scary factor. I used to be like, “All proper, I am going to simply perform a little PSA. I am going to put it on my Fb web page and I am going to put it on the Popham Seashore web page.”

I do not know what occurred, however the information of my fall went world. Individuals had been like, “My God, are you severe? After which one other girl was like, “That occurred to my daughter in February.”

The media consideration utterly blows and baffles my thoughts. I’ve a girlfriend who lives in England and was on a Fb hiatus. However she jumped again on to attach along with her mother teams. She was like, “I bought on Fb, and lo and behold however whose face do I see from throughout the pond?” After which I’ve a buddy who’s a author, and she or he was like, “My God, my pals in Germany and Switzerland, they know the story.” It is sort of humorous.

After the expertise, I would not go to the seashore alone. That is undoubtedly one thing I used to take pleasure in doing. However my takeaway is do not let it deter you from going again in any respect.

There are at all times going to be risks in all the things you need to do. The chance of it occurring twice might be fairly slim. I am not going to cease what I like doing simply because that occurred. 

On June 19, we returned to Popham Seashore for the primary time because the incident. I went with Patrick, my daughter and her buddy. On the finish of the night time, we even went again to the realm the place I fell earlier within the month.

I used to be just a little apprehensive each time we walked on the sand – I believed, “Am I gonna fall in once more?” However total, we had fun, and I did not fall in.

There was a brand new signal on the strolling path that provided recommendations on what to do if you’re trapped in sand. I used to be amused – I had my husband take an image of the signal. I used to be like, “I did that. Look what I did.”