A 584 foot freight ship, The Antalina, is stranded in the Gulf of Mexico with 22 crew on board. The Antalina is in the direct path of monster Hurricane Ike. The US Coast Guard and the US Air Force sent five aircraft that included two Air Force Osprey tilt-rotor planes to rescue the ship. But the bad weather in the Gulf has caused the Coast Guard to call off the rescue effort.
Accroding to CNN,
“Weather on scene deteriorated to a point that made the rescue impossible,” the Coast Guard said in a statement issued Friday. First Lt. Lauren Johnson, an Air Force spokeswoman, confirmed the report.
The five aircraft, including two Air Force Osprey tilt-rotor planes, were dispatched around noon (1 p.m. ET), Coast Guard Petty Officer Jaclyn Young said.
The 584-foot Cyprus-flagged freighter, the Antalina, was trying to beat the storm heading south from Port Arthur, Texas, when it lost power about 90 miles south of Galveston, Coast Guard Capt. Bill Diehl said.
Coast Guard Petty Officer Thomas Blue earlier had said a helicopter rescue might not be possible because of high winds.
The Antalina is carrying a full load of industrial ore and started from Port Arthur. The Coast Guard says the heavy weight of the ore and ship combined will help keep the ship stable in the face of heavy winds and waves.
Here is a picture of the Antalina obtained from ShipPhotos. The Antalina was built by Hitachi Zosen and is operated by Teo Shipping.
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