On July 1, 1914, an accident occurred on the set of the silent film Across the Border that resulted in the deaths of actress Grace McHugh and camera operator Owen Carter.

The tragic event marked the first on-set movie death in history and has since been remembered as a significant moment in Hollywood’s history.

McHugh and Carter were filming a scene on the Arkansas River in canon City, Colorado when the boat they were in capsized.

Carter immediately jumped into the river and brought McHugh to a sandbar, but the pair suddenly sank from view, getting sucked down by quicksand.

The rest of the crew watched in horror as the two disappeared from their sight.

Carter’s body was found five days later, while McHugh’s was missing for a total of 12 days and was eventually found nine miles away from the scene.

After the accident, Carter posthumously received the Carnegie Hero Award for his rescue efforts.

The movie’s director, Otis B. Thayer, stated that Carter swam out to help McHugh “of his own free will and without any suggestion from myself or anyone else.”

Despite the deaths of two individuals working on the film, the movie was released in August 1914.

However, instead of being respectful to those who lost their lives while filming the movie, articles and advertisements emphasized the film’s real-life drama, attempting to capitalize on McHugh’s death while not even mentioning Carter.

For example, one paper described the movie as “the greatest of Mexican War features in which Miss Grace McHugh the beautiful and daring leading lady lost her life.”

This accident is believed to be the reason why quicksand has been presented as a significant threat in Hollywood movies.

Throughout the 1950s, ’60s, and ’70s, quicksand scenes were typical in both television shows and movies. In fact, in the 1960s, quicksand appeared in one out of every 35 films.

It is important to note that quicksand is not a common hazard and is not found in many places.

Quicksand occurs when a mixture of water and fine-grained sediment, such as sand, clay or silt, becomes saturated with water and forms a colloid.

When the weight of an object on the surface of the quicksand exceeds the weight of the fluid displaced, the object sinks.

Quicksand is not dangerous as it is often portrayed in movies. A person in quicksand will not be sucked down and trapped.

Quicksand is more like a fluid that is denser than water, so if a person remains calm and does not struggle, they will float on the surface.

Struggling and trying to stand up can cause a person to sink deeper. The best way to get out of quicksand is to slowly move your legs and arms to push yourself to firmer ground.

The tragic accident that occurred on the set of Across the Border in 1914 shows the dangers that can arise while filming a movie.

It also highlights the way in which Hollywood has used quicksand as a plot device in various films, perhaps as a result of the first on-set movie death being caused by the natural phenomenon.

The memory of Grace McHugh and Owen Carter will forever be a part of Hollywood’s history.