The Ourang Medan was purportedly a Dutch cargo ship of the mid-20th century which features in a legendary maritime occurrence, in which several boats, responding to SOS calls--"Captain and all officers dead. Entire crew dead or dying," and later, "Now I am also near death"--discover a ship which appears to be in perfect condition. However, upon boarding the ship, they discover the crew, frozen in death. They all appeared to have died suddenly, with expressions of horror on their faces, their eyes still open. Some of the crew were supposedly pointing at the sky. No cause could be determined for the crew's deaths.

Not one member of the crew of the Ourang Medan had survived the unknown, but terminal, fate; even the ships dog was dead, perpetually snarling at an absent enemy.

Any answers to be gleaned by examination of the scene were dashed as, whilst being towed to port, the ship exploded and sank.

The story is liable to be apocryphal, although it is repeated in various texts, particularly on the paranormal.