Real Ghost Ship or Nautical Nonsense?

Yeah, I know this one’s a bit random.
But trust me — this isn’t just some spooky coincidence.

Since I recently posted a review on wendigo folklore, followed by my Until Dawn review (which has wendigos all over it), I remembered I actually wrote a review last year on Man of Medan.

Which got me thinking:
Let’s talk about the ship that game is based on.

Today we’re diving into the urban legend of the SS Ourang Medan — the mysterious ghost ship that may or may not have ever existed.
I’ll explain.

🌊 So What’s the Folklore?

If you’ve never heard the story of the SS Ourang Medan, buckle up — it’s a weird one.

One of the biggest reasons people question whether this ship ever existed is because…
➡️There are no documented files.
➡️ No photographs.
➡️ And every version of the story? Completely different.

But there’s one version that’s always stuck with me — and that’s the one I’m gonna share with y’all today.

⚠️ The “I Die” SOS

So, it supposedly happened in 1952.

A merchant ship is out at sea when it suddenly gets this creepy SOS message:

“We float. All officers, including the captain, died in the chartroom and on the bridge. Probably the whole of the crew is dead… I die.”

YES. The guy literally typed out:
“I DIE.”

Like… what??

**OK, if I wasn’t skeptical before, I am sure as hell skeptical **now.
Who the hell types out “I die” while actually dying??

You’re in your final moments, gasping for breath, and your brain goes:

“Lemme just narrate this one last time for the folks at home.”
Sir, are you a sailor or Shakespeare at sea?!

I can’t.
The hell??

🚢 Ghost Ship Ahoy

Anyway, the merchant ship tried to contact the sender — no response.

Eventually, an abandoned vessel comes into view.
It’s the SS Ourang Medan.

They try using loudspeakers to reach anyone onboard.
Silence.

So the captain sends a team to board the ship. What they find is… something out of a horror movie:

☠️ The entire crew is dead
😱 Shocked expressions frozen on their faces
🧟 Bodies contorted like they were fighting something off
🐕 Even the DOGS were dead — in mid-snarling positions

Oh, I would’ve noped SO hard. Like, launch-me-back-to-land level noping. Dead dogs in attack pose?? That’s when I pretend I forgot how to climb ladders and just cry in the corner. Nope nope nope.**

One crew member accidentally touches a body…
It starts decaying right in front of their eyes.
And now it’s full panic mode. Like, you thought the corpses were bad? Now they’re melting. I’d be jumping ship before the captain even said a word. Absolute Mistructions vibes — you led me here, and now I gotta live with this trauma??.

But just as they tie the rope on the boat and start to set sail, the unthinkable happens.

💥 The ship catches fire.
💥 Then explodes.
💥 Then flies into the air
💥Then crashes and sinks into the ocean

Come on now.
That’s when I go from “nope” to “hells to the no no”‘

🤔 So Was It Real?

This is why the story of the SS Ourang Medan is so hard to trust.

No records.
No consistent reports.
And a plot twist straight out of a bad horror movie.

Me? I lean toward fake.
But hey — y’all can decide for yourselves.

📺 Want More?

Check out this video for more details on the legend:
👉

💬 Final Thoughts

Hope y’all enjoyed this one — weird, creepy, and probably made up, but still fun to talk about.
Let me know what you think: real ghost ship… or oceanic bullcrap?

Until next time.

🧴Where do we land on the Jarrodism Meter?