Freighter adrift in North Pacific; Coast Guard on scene

JUNEAU, Alaska (CNN) -- Pounded by strong winds and high seas, a stricken freighter with 23 people on board drifted in the North Pacific on Wednesday toward the Aleutian Islands. A Coast Guard cutter was on the scene, attempting to set up a tow line and bring the vessel to safety, authorities said.

"They have absolutely no power: no steering, no motor, no nothing," said Petty Officer Darrell Wilson, a spokesman for Coast Guard headquarters in Juneau.

The 593-foot Alam Selaras, a Malaysian-flagged vessel carrying grain, was traveling from Vancouver, Canada, to Japan, Wilson said.

The freighter's captain first contacted the Coast Guard on Saturday, saying his main engine had failed. It restarted Sunday, but the captain called the Coast Guard again Tuesday, reporting that the engine failed again and all power was lost.

Winds were blowing at 30 to 40 mph and seas were running 20 to 28 feet. Some waves, Wilson said, were crashing over the vessel. "They're out there getting pounded," Wilson said.

The Coast Guard Cutter Alex Haley, Wilson said, would attempt to tow the freighter to safety.

The two vessels are roughly 80 miles from the Aleutian Islands, he said.

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