Mark Zuckerberg is under scrutiny following reports that the crew of a yacht belonging to the Meta CEO failed to respond to a distress call from another vessel last week near the Alaskan coast. The incident, as reported by the Alaska Beacon, involved a small skiff that had run out of fuel and issued a call for help on August 3, which was answered by the nearby small cruise ship, the Wilderness Legacy, towing the skiff to safety in Farragut Bay in southeast Alaska.
According to maritime law expert Ian Ralby, maritime regulations mandate that all ships must assist in response to distress calls or requests for aid, unless it endangers the responding vessel. Ralby emphasized the importance of saving lives at sea due to the inherent dangers of maritime activities.
Despite being closer to the distressed skiff, Zuckerberg’s yacht, named Launchpad, did not respond to the call for help. A spokesperson for Zuckerberg explained to the Alaska Beacon that the crew had not heard the distress call initially, and when they eventually became aware of it, another nearby ship had already provided assistance.
The spokesperson further clarified that the Coast Guard confirmed the skiff was not in distress, and by the time the crew acknowledged the Coast Guard communication on a different radio channel, help was already in progress. The spokesperson expressed gratitude that all individuals involved in the incident were safe and mentioned that Zuckerberg and his family were not present on the yacht during the event.