According to a spokesperson for Mark Zuckerberg, the yacht Launchpad, owned by Meta, did not respond to a distress call from the U.S. Coast Guard when a nearby small boat ran out of fuel, because the crew didn't hear the request in time. The incident off the coast of Alaska sparked criticism on social media, but the spokesperson said Zuckerberg was not aboard the yacht at the time.
Under maritime regulations, crews are generally obligated to respond to distress signals unless doing so would endanger their own vessel. According to the Alaska Beacon, the small skiff sent a distress signal through the Coast Guard, and a nearby small yacht named Wilderness Legacy responded. Wilderness Legacy towed the stricken boat into Farragut Bay for refueling.
Zuckerberg's Launchpad yacht was reportedly closer to the scene but didn't answer the call. The incident drew attention after a passenger named Michael Love on the Wilderness Legacy detailed it in a Bluesky post last week. Love said he was traveling in Alaska with his son when the crew rescued a stranded boat.
He recounted that passengers booed "almost in unison" when the captain announced the incident. "Honestly, if I were Mark Zuckerberg, I would be thrilled to have the chance to help someone in need and maybe get a little good publicity out of it," Love said. However, a Meta spokesperson stressed that the Coast Guard had determined the small boat was not in a dangerous situation.
According to the spokesperson, when the crew reviewed the Coast Guard's communications — which were broadcast on a different radio channel than the one they were monitoring — the rescue by Wilderness Legacy was already underway. He also said all parties involved were safe.
