Mark Zuckerberg is under scrutiny following reports that a distress call from a stranded skiff off the coast of Alaska was not responded to by the crew of a yacht owned by the Meta CEO. The incident occurred on August 3 when a small skiff ran out of fuel and requested assistance via the U.S. Coast Guard. The nearby small cruise ship, the Wilderness Legacy, came to the skiff’s aid and towed it to Farragut Bay in southeast Alaska as required by maritime law.
Ian Ralby, an expert in maritime law, emphasized the obligation of ships to assist in distress situations at sea to safeguard human lives. Despite being closer to the skiff, Zuckerberg’s yacht, named Launchpad, did not provide assistance. A spokesperson for Zuckerberg explained that the crew did not hear the initial distress call and when they became aware, another vessel had already intervened.
The spokesperson further clarified that the skiff was not in distress as confirmed by the Coast Guard, and the crew of Launchpad only learned of the situation after assistance was already in progress. The incident took place while Zuckerberg and his family were not on board the yacht.
The Alaska Beacon first reported on the incident, which has raised questions about the response of Zuckerberg’s yacht to the distress call.