SS Ourang Medan

The Curse of the Ourang Medan

The Ourang Medan SOS is one of the most famous mayday calls in maritime history, yet the details of
this case are heavily disputed. Even a date cannot be agreed on for this event, with most people
agreeing it happened some time between late 1947 and early 1948. What makes this story interesting is
that the SOS was received by two American ships who both separately understood the communication
to say..‘All officers including the Captain are dead. Lying in chartroom and the bridge. Possibly whole
crew dead. I die.’Upon hearing this ominous message, the Silver Star was immediately dispatched in the
direction of the stricken vessel and several hours later the Ourang Medan was spotted with no signs of
life on board. Once all efforts to make contact were exhausted, the crew of the SIlver Star boarded and
were faced with a grisly scene. The corpses of the Dutch crew littered the decks, their faces contorted in
agony and/or horror but with no signs of any injuries. The radio operator who sent the message was still
at his station, as were the engineers who appeared to have died where they were working. Crewman
who boarded the Ourang Medan reported an eerie chill on the ship despite the warm climate of the
Malacca Strait where it was found.Eventually the crew of the Silver Star tethered the Ourang Medan
ready to tow it to safety, at which point it promptly burst into flames from the lower decks, before
exploding and sinking to the bottom of the ocean, dragging any chance of discovering what happened to
the crew down with it.