Petty Officer Tom Atkeson tells The Associated Press that the planes encountered winds of 80 knots or about 92 miles-per-hour when they reached the freighter. At that point, the ship was adrift about 120 miles southeast of Galveston, Texas. The strong winds were above the safety parameters for a rescue attempt.
Twenty-two men are aboard the 584-foot freighter Antalina, which sent out a radio distress call early this morning.
Atkeson says the Coast Guard is in contact with the crewmen and might be able to relaunch a rescue attempt later.
