The Raffle that Sealed a Destiny in the Pacific

The Raffle that Sealed a Fate in the Pacific: The Wreck of the Essex Four men lost in the Pacific after 94 days adrift. One posed the question that sailors had whispered since childhood, and the winner was shot and raw devoured by the other three. The impossible contradiction: the man who organized the raffle died grateful. In this episode, we explore the two-round procedure with papers drawn from the ship's log, the ritualized execution of Owen Coffin as he looked out to sea, and how George Pollard, the captain, did not veto a maritime custom without legal backing. We will uncover what legally happened to the survivors gnawing on human bones when they were rescued, and why a Ouija session in an English hotel in 1994 connects this historical mystery with a later unsolved crime. Victim: Owen Coffin Date: February 6, 1821 Location: Pacific Ocean, whaling ship Essex Status: Recorded in ship's log; case cited in Moby Dick - Owen drew blank papers from the Essex logbook to ensure fairness in the raffle that would determine his own death - Charles tearfully refused, saying he "couldn't do it," but shot Owen in the back of the head minutes later - Barzillai died of starvation five days post-raffle, and his body was also consumed - George Pollard, captain and cousin of Owen, participated in cannibalism but was never criminally prosecuted Owen Coffin, wreck of the Essex, Pacific 1821, maritime custom, cannibalism, raffle, extreme survival, George Pollard, Moby Dick, maritime crime, true crime SpanishIf you'd like to listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, we invite you to try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.© 2026 Created with OBOMEDIA technology. All rights reserved. This episode and its content (audio, text, and associated materials) are the property of their respective creator and are distributed under the OBOMEDIA name on platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Pocket Casts. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or total or partial commercial use is prohibited without prior written authorization. For permissions, licenses, and commercial inquiries: [email protected] episode includes AI-generated content.