Well, hello and welcome back to everyone's favorite secret podcast.
Yes, it is still a secret.
For now.
Someone may be on to me, but more on that later.
You are really going to sink into today's episode and you will find out why in a minute.
So bring your boots and a friend because you'll need both and get ready.
I'm Carly Q and this is Who When Wow.
Mystery Edition.
Our past is vast and wild.
Many things have brought us to this day.
As history has been compiled, some important details have slipped away in our spectacular shared existence.
We can to recognize a few folks you may not know, made important inventions, asked all the right questions.
History will never be the same.
As you know, Louis and I have been on the trail of the anonymous person who's on our trail about our time travel adventures.
And that's been very distracting.
That's what you're worried about.
Whoa!
Gotcha, Carl.
See?
See?
That's exactly what I thought was gonna happen.
Here, let me help get that coat off.
Thank you, Amber.
Can I ask, why are you only wearing one boot?
About time they noticed.
I bent down and pulled off my one boot.
What happened is that I faced my worst nightmare of all time this morning on my way to work.
I was running late, and not my fault because I was thinking about the anonymous letter writer, and so I decided to cut across the big field in front of Butthead HQ.
No big deal, I thought, because I'm wearing my rain boots.
What's the worst that can happen?
I am stepping into a big puddle, just minding my own business, and I realize my roof is stuck.
I cannot lift it out of the mud.
And that's when I panic.
And I thought the mud was going to swallow me up.
What did you do?
I faced certain doom.
I knew I had to act fast before I disappeared forever into the center of the Earth.
Um, that might be a little dramatic, don't you think?
Excuse me, Lewis?
Have you ever found yourself sinking into a massive puddle?
Like I said, I had to think quickly and save myself, but I sacrificed one of my boots in the process.
Are you okay?
I just need a moment.
Look out the window!
Carly Q, is that your boot just sticking up out of mud?
No, Lewis, it's the boot of an alien who visited us last night from their faraway planet.
Wait, really?
They had no idea how terrified I'd been.
That sounded like sarcasm.
Whatever.
I headed down to my desk in the basement.
I mean, what a scary feeling, just sinking like that.
I had to pull my foot out of the boot to escape the clutches of the muck and mud.
You should have seen it, Nibbles.
I was very brave, but those boots were my favorite pair.
I've had them forever.
They have little pictures of pies on them with, like, the little curl of steam coming out on top.
And here I am with one boot and one wet sock.
Oh, a time-sealed event already?
Give a girl a chance to settle into her day, why don't ya?
Event.
2011.
River.
Utah.
A hiker named Sinks buried up to his waist.
Well, well, well, having been almost half buried myself this morning, I was.
It was terrifying.
I always keep a backup pair of flip-flops in my backpack on rainy days like this, and I put them on because I was determined to find out what was on that deleted file.
Stop.
I pulled HDAT out and I typed in what I knew so far.
Hiker, 2011, River, Utah.
Well, hiking.
Hiking is fun.
I should go for hikes more often.
You know, maybe when this torrential rain stops, I will pack a lunch, grab some pie, be one with nature.
Ah, it's dead.
What do you got?
2011.
A hiker got stuck in a sandy area by the Dirty Devil River in what has been deemed a modern case of quicksand.
Thankfully, he was rescued before the river water got too high and the temperatures got too cold.
I knew it.
So much for being one with nature.
I am not hanging out with nature if it just plans to swallow me whole.
Quicksand?
That's just a myth.
Lewis!
Why did you sneak up on me like that?
You know I've already had a horrible scare this morning.
And no, quicksand is not a myth.
The field in front of Butt Headquarters almost swallowed me alive this morning.
Um, no.
That's not what happened.
And by the way, your boot is still sticking out of the ground.
Makes me sad.
You need to go get that at some point.
More information available.
Ooh, tell me, H-Dad.
There have been numerous modern quicksand episodes.
In 1961, a hiker named Roger Cashin had a tragic accident when he sank into the mudflats near the Nick River in Alaska.
Oh, no.
Okay, that is truly awful.
But it was an accident.
It wasn't actually swallowed up.
The Earth is not out to get us, you know.
My wet sock says it is.
First of all, ew.
And B, maybe you need to dial it down a little.
You're freaking out that someone knows our secret and now you think the Earth wants to eat you?
It can happen.
And I'm about to prove it.
I'm going back to Utah in 2011.
I want to see that poor hiker who got stuck in quicksand and watch the rescue operation myself.
You coming, Nibbles?
Don't blame you.
I don't trust quicksand either.
It is no place for a rat.
I'm coming with you.
I'll see you at lunchtime, Carly Kid.
I just said it's no place for a rat.
Oh, gotcha.
Yeah, I get it.
That's a lot of sass coming from someone who's planning to go hiking in flip-flops.
I was kidding.
I swear.
And these flip-flops rule.
Look at them.
They are so comfortable and fashionable.
Sure enough, when lunchtime rolled around... Carly Q, elevator time.
Watch out for the quicksand.
Whoa!
Not funny, Lewis.
Come on.
Hello, Odie.
How are you doing today?
Better than you.
What's with the flip-flops?
Is it summer and nobody told me?
Long story.
Not too long.
One of her rain boots is stuck in the mud outside of the building.
Boots belong on your feet, you know, not outside filling up with water.
Where are you and your delightful companion heading today?
I feel that was a bit sarcastic.
Always trust your feelings.
Utah, 2011, the Dirty Devil River.
We are investigating whether or not quicksand is real by going to the site of a rescue mission.
She's afraid of quicksand.
You are?
I am not.
Okay, I am.
Oh, remember whether you're wearing boots or flip-flops.
The more you struggle, the less you think, the deeper you sink.
I'm not sure I get that.
What a surprise.
Again, I'm sensing sarcasm.
Okay, let's review the rules.
No changing anything in the past, but you can, of course, ask all the questions you like.
You can use your key card to make the elevator reappear and you must be back before the end of the lunch break.
Thanks.
See you soon.
Ugh, that was a rough ride.
Yeah, I'll say.
And I'm actually wearing shoes.
The elevator dropped us off on a small cliff looking out over the Dirty Devil River in eastern Utah.
Look, down there.
It's a man sticking halfway out of the ground.
Quicksand!
All around us, we saw rescue teams, emergency rescue operators, doctors, police officers.
We even saw some people carrying wraps.
We ran down to the edge of the water to talk to one of the rescue team members.
Excuse me!
Excuse me!
Hey!
What are you doing here?
Are you from the media?
Yes!
Yes!
We are reporters.
A reporter in flip-flops, huh?
What, did they just fly you in from Hawaii or something?
This is Utah, ma'am.
I know you're on your way to save someone, but do you have time for a quick question?
We have a man half buried in quicksand down there.
We can talk after our job is done.
I gotta get down there with this raft.
Okay.
Good luck.
That didn't get me much information.
I walked over to a group of people who definitely were reporters judging by their microphones and cameras.
Hi.
Excuse me.
Fatima Ahmed, science reporter.
Ooh, that's a cool job.
I thought about being a scientist, but then one day in biology we had to dissect a frog and I fainted.
I don't blame you.
Frog insides?
Interesting, but gross.
Yep.
It was time to switch careers.
So now I write about and report on science.
Me too.
In fact, I am here to investigate whether or not quicksand is even a thing.
Of course it's a thing.
I knew it.
Can you elaborate?
Can I elaborate?
Of course I can.
I mean, this is just so fascinating.
Probably not so fascinating for the guy who's stuck.
You know what quicksand is, right?
Uh, sure.
But why don't you say it louder so Louis can hear it?
Whatever.
So basically, it's sand that just gets saturated with water.
Like, at the beach, you can walk across the sand with no problem, right?
You won't sink or anything because the sand is packed together.
But here, there's too much water mixed in with the sand.
So if you're standing on it, it can't support your weight.
It's not solid anymore.
So you start to sink.
Yep.
And you get swallowed whole.
Swallowed whole?
Oh, no.
I mean...
You sink very quickly.
That's why it's quicksand.
And the more you thrash around and try to get out, the faster you'll sink.
So, sand in which you can sink.
Quick.
And we call that what, Lewis?
Quicksand.
Once more, Lewis?
Quicksand!
Okay, how long has he been stuck like that?
Can they just, I don't know, tie a rope around his waist and pull?
They tried that, but he is really and truly stuck.
He's been like that for 13 hours.
And they have to hurry up before it swallows him up, right?
Not really.
The science is really cool here.
You see, the sand is mixed with so much water, and it's really dense.
But your body is not as dense.
So you'll sink a bit, but then you'll end up just floating in it.
This hiker.
He sank until he was halfway down, but now he's kind of floating just with his legs submerged in the sand, the way you might float in water.
What are they doing down there?
Ooh, they're using rafts to reach him.
Cameras, quick, bring the cameras out here.
We watched as several rescue team members used rafts to reach the man.
And then, while they circled him in their rafts, they used shovels and started digging.
How cool is that?
They're floating on rafts to avoid sinking while they dig.
The consistency of quicksand is amazing.
My science nerd friends are going to love hearing about this.
They're pulling him out.
It's working.
Betty's going to track some mud into the house after this.
I do love a rescue story.
Once he's out completely, he's going to need to go to the hospital.
He likely has hypothermia.
Hypothermia?
Oh, is that when you get really excited and hyper about wearing your thermal underwear because it means winter is coming and you get presents?
No.
Hypothermia is when your body gets too cold.
Because the hiker has been stuck in the cold ground for hours, he is freezing, basically.
They'll need to keep a close eye on him, but hopefully he will be okay.
Yes!
What a close call!
Hi there.
This is your reminder that lunch break is almost over.
Well, that's our cue.
Thank you so much, Fatima.
You've been so helpful.
No problem.
Now go get some real shoes on.
We rushed back and used our key card to call the elevator.
I just don't understand why everyone has so many opinions on my shoes.
Well, of course, Carly.
Your flip-flops are terrible.
I'm getting you flip-flops for Christmas Lewis, and you're going to understand why they're so special.
Now, don't get me flip-flops.
I'll take a gift card.
Just a gift card is fine!
Well, did you find anything to sink your teeth into?
Sink.
I get it.
Because quicksand.
Not bad, Odie.
Quicksand is real, Odie.
And still around today.
It's just not exactly what I thought it was.
That is true of so many things.
The hiker was trapped in the quicksand and couldn't get out.
But he wasn't ever going to be swallowed up completely.
You've been watching too many scary movies, Carly.
Quicksand has been a lifelong fear of mine.
Right along with getting eaten by a giant snake and also being stuck on a desert island and not knowing how to crack open a coconut.
What an imagination.
As the kids say, it's not that deep, Garlic Cube.
The more you struggle, the less you think, the deeper you sink.
Like in Quicksand, you don't want to struggle or you'll just sink even deeper.
You need to stay calm and ask for help.
And always go hiking with a friend.
Sounds like good advice.
And always clean your boots.
Thanks, Odie.
Have a good day, basement companion... Lewis.
Lewis and I went upstairs to check on the whole boot situation.
I wonder if it's still raining.
Well, I wonder if your boot's still stuck in the mud.
Thank you, Lewis, for your concern.
Harley, your boot isn't stuck in the mud anymore.
We've all been watching it during lunch.
Really?
Yeah, it's just kind of floating now.
We watched two frogs using it like a swimming pool.
Isn't that cute?
Oh, I can respect that.
They are great boots.
Let's go get it.
Oh, look, the sun came out.
Amber was right.
My boot, cute little apple pies and all, was bobbing along in a puddle.
And a much smaller puddle than it had been this morning.
Well?
Well, what?
Shouldn't you go get it?
Uh...
Nope, I'll just get it tomorrow.
Besides, I'm wearing flip-flops.
You can just... No, Louis.
No, no, no.
I will wade in wearing these flip-flops and just get sucked in again.
We already know you won't get sucked in again.
You're panicking.
Hmm.
Odie said not to struggle, to think.
Okay, think, Carly Q. I looked around.
That's when I spotted something else floating a long branch that had broken off.
A tree limb in the rain.
This tree branch is super long.
I bent down, snatched it up, reached over, and hooked that boot.
Ha-ha!
Well, look what I caught.
A good five pounder, I'll say.
Good for you, Carly Q, And maybe that's good advice when it comes to the anonymous letter writer too.
Need to think it through and not panic.
What a day.
I faced my fear of being swallowed up by the earth mostly by learning that there are ways you can think through a problem.
I got my favorite boots back and I decided not to panic about the person who knows about the elevator.
The mystery will get solved, I hope.
But Lewis and I are in it together, and we're not going to let each other sink.
That's it for today's time-sealed mystery.
We'll be back with another soon.
And remember, you never heard this.
Seriously, keeping this a secret is of the utmost importance right now.
H-DAD initiating end credits mode.
Who Went Wow Mystery Edition is an original Tinkercast production with help from GZM Shows.
Handshake emoji.
High five emoji.
Tinkercast.
The executive producers are Guy Raz, Mindy Thomas, and Meredith Halpern-Ranzer.
The shows are written by Aaron Weissman, Susan Mawady-Diraj, and Tom Van Kalken.
The head writer for Tinkercast is Kenny Curtis, and Carly Shiraki is a producing consultant.
Big shout-outs to the rest of the Tinkercast team, including Jed Anderson, Jessica Bode, Rebecca Caban, Natasha Crandall, Lizzie Freilich, Kristen Jang Twee Mac, Erica Medina, Henry Moskal, Jody Nussbaum, Ali Paksima, Linda Rothenberg, Steph Sosa, Tyler Thal, Joanna Weber and Anna Zagorski.
Megaphone emoji up.
The Who and Well theme song was composed and performed by The Pop-Ups.
For more information on their three-time Grammy-nominated all-ages music, find them at thepopupscom.
Producers for GZM shows are David Kreisman, Ben Strauss, Chris Terry, Amy Cervini and Claire McClanahan.
The production manager is Sharon Michaels.
Sound design and editing for Who Went Wow Mystery Edition is done by Chris Terry and Oded Levari.
Headphones emoji, microphone emoji, thumbs up emoji.
Original music was created by Jennifer Rowcap.
Voice editing is by Yoni Reckham.
And voice direction is handled by David Kreisman and Amy Cervini.
Could you give me another one on that, please?
And voice direction is handled by David Kreisman and Amy Cervini.
Our main cast features Carly Shiraki as Carly Q. Brandon Salerno as Lewis.
Melissa Vanderschief as Nibbles the Rat, Kenny Curtis as H-Dead, and Angel Desai as Odie.
Help support Who Went Wow by becoming a member of the World Organization of Wowzers and discover wows all year long.
Sign up today at Tinkercast.com slash membership.
You can also subscribe to our YouTube channel at Tinkercastcom.
Slash YouTube for for full-length episodes of Who and Wow Mystery Edition.
And reach out to us at hello at tinkercastcom if you have a mystery you would like Butthead to investigate.
H-Day, powering off.
Peace sign emoji.
Who Won Wow was made by Tinkercast.
Shh, it's starting.
GCN shows Imagination Amplified.
