In 2017, a pilot flying over Western Australia noticed an SOS made of rocks in a remote location. Realizing that somebody could be stranded in this hostile environment, the pilot reported it to police, who launched an investigation.
The mysterious SOS was later revealed to have been created four years earlier, when a couple became stranded on their yacht in Swift Bay. They survived on meagre rations before being rescued by a passing yacht days later.
Despite this SOS signal not aiding their survival, it was certainly a smart way to increase their chances of rescue, however not all SOS stories have such a positive and logical conclusion, so here are Chilling SOS Calls That Have Never Been Explained.
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.
