MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark & Mysterious Stories

Episode: Shipwrecked (PODCAST EXCLUSIVE EPISODE)

Release Date: January 7, 2026
Host: John Allen aka MrBallen

Episode Overview

In this exclusive episode, MrBallen dives into the harrowing true story of Oday Egilus, a young computer engineer who vanished without a trace in Antwerp, Belgium, in 2013 after a night out with friends. What began as a tale of a fun evening celebrating a birthday spirals into a strange, dark, and mysterious case involving double muggings, a city-wide search, intense media attention, and an unbelievable conclusion beneath a floating nightclub on the river Scheldt. The episode explores how one man’s disappearance gripped a continent, inspired artists and athletes, and ultimately led to a chilling resolution that no one could have foreseen.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. The Night Out and Mysterious Disappearance

• Oday’s new life in Belgium: Oday Egilus, 23, had recently moved from Spain to Antwerp for a job as a computer engineer. He forged a close friendship with Kevin Rodriguez Fuentes, who introduced him to the local social scene.
• Birthday celebration: On October 19, 2013, Oday joined Kevin and friends at a club to celebrate Kevin’s birthday. The night, filled with dancing and drinking, becomes a happy blur (03:01).
• The last goodbye: At around 4am, Oday, highly intoxicated, heads home alone on empty city streets. This is the last time any of his friends see or hear from him.

"It was really nights like this that made him feel like Antwerp was his new home." — MrBallen (03:39)

2. Alarm Bells and The Search Begins

• Initial concern: Kevin notices Oday hasn’t responded to texts or answered his phone. Attempts to locate Oday with other friends and at his apartment are fruitless (04:00–07:00).
• Missing persons report: When no one can find or contact Oday by the next day, Kevin reports him missing to the Belgian National Police.
• Limited clues: Kevin’s memory is poor due to his own intoxication. The most concrete lead is Oday’s last-known outfit: a grey hoodie and black-and-white checkered scarf (07:00–08:20).

"As soon as the officers started asking Kevin questions, it became clear that this was going to be a very frustrating meeting for everybody because no matter how hard Kevin tried, he literally couldn't remember much at all." — MrBallen (07:25)

3. Breakthrough: Double Muggings Caught on Camera

• CCTV discoveries: Police analyze surveillance footage and find that Oday, on his way home, was mugged twice by three different men in rapid succession—first his wallet, then his phone (09:20).
• Tracking the suspects: By using ATM security footage and cell phone data, police identify and arrest all three muggers (14:01).
• Muggers’ testimonies: Each mugger admits to attacking Oday, but all deny knowing each other or having any part in Oday’s disappearance. Surveillance footage supports their story: they mugged Oday and ran off, leaving him to continue on alone (16:12).

"The idea that three muggers had randomly committed two attacks on the same man within minutes of each other and that their victim had then disappeared in what yet another unrelated incident seemed almost comical." — MrBallen (15:45)

4. City-Wide Search: Hitting Dead Ends

• Widening the search: Police and Oday’s friends canvass the city with posters and interviews but find no helpful leads, even at the city’s famous floating club, the Bod Boat (16:12–20:58).
• Public gatherings: Vigils and awareness rallies are held in both Antwerp and Oday’s hometown in Spain. His family remains hopeful, refusing to treat the event as a memorial (20:58).

5. The Story Goes Viral

• International attention: Seven months after the disappearance, Oday’s story explodes across Europe. Artists, musicians, and even superstar Cristiano Ronaldo shine a spotlight on his case, demanding renewed efforts (21:00–24:33).

"Poets all over the world [were] writing poems about Oday, and you had musicians writing music about Oday... The whole world was rallying to get the Belgian government to act." — MrBallen (22:55)

"One of the most famous soccer players in the world, Cristiano Ronaldo, played a game with images of Oday on his jersey." (23:55)

• Increased investigation: The Belgian government, under public pressure, reopens and expands the search, even bringing in Interpol to canvass other countries (24:00).

6. The Shocking Resolution: Under the Bod Boat's Pool

• Unexpected clue: Almost two years later, in September 2015, the Bod Boat’s large on-deck swimming pool springs a leak and sinks to the river bottom (24:34–27:00).
• Discovery: In February 2016, while retrieving the pool, workers spot human remains attached underneath—the body is confirmed as Oday Egilus (27:00).
• Police theory: Piecing together evidence, investigators believe Oday, confused and heavily intoxicated, fell into the river. The current dragged him under the Bod Boat, where he became trapped under the pool structure and drowned (28:20–30:20).

"And for more than two years after his death, Oday's body remained wedged underneath that swimming pool. And so for all that time, people are swimming in the pool, not realizing they're a couple feet away from a dead body." — MrBallen (29:30)

• Unanswered questions: The muggers are convicted of robbery, but never directly connected to Oday’s death. While accidental drowning is the official theory, the possibility of foul play was never completely ruled out (31:05).

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Oday's unique fate:

  "It was like something you'd expect to see in a movie or a TV show about a guy cursed with bad luck or something." — MrBallen (10:56)

• On the international response:

  "Poets all over the world writing poems about Oday... The whole world was rallying to get the Belgian government to act. Like, triple your efforts. Find Oday. He's out there." — MrBallen (22:55)

• On the surreal discovery:

  "As the cranes slowly did their work, and as he kept his eyes trained on the water, eventually the bod boat’s swimming pool, which was still actually mostly intact, broke the surface... Something in the water caught the crew member's attention... attached to it at this point was Oday's body, and that was how they found him." — MrBallen (27:50–28:07)

• On the tragic irony:

  "For more than two years after his death, Oday's body remained wedged underneath that swimming pool. And so for all that time, people are swimming in the pool, not realizing they're a couple feet away from a dead body." — MrBallen (29:30)

Important Segment Timestamps

• Intro & Format Update: 00:01–03:01
• The Disappearance: 03:01–07:00
• The Search Begins: 07:00–09:20
• CCTV Revelations – Double Mugging: 09:20–14:01
• Muggers Questioned, Cleared of Foul Play: 14:01–16:12
• Search at the Bod Boat: 16:12–20:58
• Story Goes Viral: 20:58–24:34
• The Bod Boat and Final Discovery: 24:34–31:05
• Recap & Closing: 31:05–End

Episode Tone & Storytelling

MrBallen’s signature narrative style shines throughout the episode: vivid, suspenseful, empathetic, and laced with dark irony. The language is direct and accessible, evoking the emotional gravity of Oday’s ordeal while also highlighting the almost unbelievable coincidences and the heartbreaking randomness of fate.

Summary for Listeners

If you haven't listened, "Shipwrecked" chronicles the disappearance of Oday Egilus—an ordinary young man whose fate becomes one of Europe’s most bizarre and haunting mysteries. The episode details not only the mechanics of how he vanished and why he was so hard to find, but also how one missing person story became an international rallying cry. MrBallen’s methodical yet compassionate narration draws out both the horror and the humanity at the heart of this tragic tale.