When Michael O’Brien and Breanne Sika set off to spend the day on a Lake Michigan beach hunting for rocks, neither expected one of them would fall victim to quicksand, nor that they would be calling each other boyfriend and girlfriend by the end of the day. The pair had been friends for two years and had only recently begun to explore a potential romantic relationship after a mutual friend asked them why they weren’t dating. On the day in question, O’Brien, stepped in the wrong place on the beach and immediately sank into quicksand. Within a second or two, the 37-year-old was up to his waist. He barely had time to get his keys and phone out of his pocket before the sand hardened fully around one foot. He was stuck. Sika came running to O’Brien’s rescue, trying to pull him out. When the 36-year-old was unable to get her friend to budge, she did the next best thing: she called 911. Within five minutes, four firefighters arrived and began to drag O'Brien out of the hole with a rope. While three firefighters played tug-of-war with the quicksand, a fourth firefighter started digging away the sand. Eventually, O’Brien’s foot broke free and he was able to scoot up onto the beach. Fortunately, he suffered no injuries. To celebrate, O’Brien and Sika had their first date that weekend. If nothing else, it will make a great story to tell their grandkids.
