Mysterious 'man-eating holes' leave scientists baffled

Photo courtesy: NPS

Thursday, May 1, 2014, 7:42 PM -

Scientists are at a loss to explain why a series of man-eating holes are appearing in Indiana's Mount Baldy region.

The phenomenon was first reported last summer when 6-year-old Nathan Woessner was walking in the area and suddenly vanished into a hole.

It took a team of rescuers about three hours to pull the young boy out of the 3.4 metre-deep sand crevice, according to the Chicago Tribune.

Since then more holes have appeared, prompting National Park Service officials to close a portion of the park indefinitely.

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To make matters even stranger the holes seem to be appearing and disappearing without warning.

In some instances the cavities form quickly only to collapse and fill up with sand a few hours later.

Several have formed, varying in size and depth.

Experts aren't sure if the holes qualify as "dry" quicksand.

Typically, quicksand constitutes a mixture of sand and water that can trap humans or animals.

While it has been theorized that dry quicksand exists, it has yet to be documented in nature.

Park officials say they're taking core samples to determine how the surface below Mount Baldy could be contributing to the formation of the holes.