This one isn't a Jeep story, but it hits close to home for anyone who drives or walks Moab's sandy washes. The Moab Times Independent reports that an experienced hiker became trapped in quicksand in a backcountry section of Courthouse Wash in Arches National Park on December 7.

What happened

  • He got stuck before sunrise with flowing water and temperatures around 20 degrees
  • With no cell service in the canyon, he used a satellite messenger to send an SOS
  • Grand County Search and Rescue used a drone to find him and plan a safe route in, and an Arches ranger reached him first
  • Rescuers laid ladders and boards across the wet sand to spread out their weight and dug him free. He was not injured

The hiker's own warning, as quoted in the paper, sticks with you:

"It does not care how experienced you are."

The paper notes it was Search and Rescue's 142nd call of 2025.

What it means for wheelers

Wet sand in a wash can look solid and act like anything but. On our trips we scout soft or wet crossings on foot before anybody drives them, and we carry recovery gear for exactly these spots. Two other lessons from this story apply to every Jeep group: cell service out here is spotty at best, so carry a satellite messenger, and always tell someone where you are going and when you will be back.