Mark Zuckerberg is under scrutiny following reports that the crew of a yacht owned by the Meta CEO did not respond to a distress call from another vessel off the coast of Alaska last week.
The Alaska Beacon revealed that a small skiff that had run out of fuel sent a distress call on August 3 via the U.S. Coast Guard, and the nearby small cruise ship, the Wilderness Legacy, provided assistance by towing it to Farragut Bay in southeast Alaska.
According to maritime law expert Ian Ralby, ships are obligated to aid in response to distress calls unless it endangers their own vessel. Ralby emphasized the importance of safeguarding lives at sea due to the inherent risks involved.
Despite being in closer proximity, Zuckerberg’s yacht, named Launchpad, did not respond to the distress call. A spokesperson for Zuckerberg clarified that the crew did not initially hear the call for help and only became aware of the situation once another nearby ship had already intervened.
The spokesperson further stated that the Coast Guard confirmed the skiff was not in distress and assistance was already in progress by the time the yacht crew was informed on a different radio channel. Fortunately, all parties involved were reported safe.
It was noted that Zuckerberg and his family were not present on the yacht during the incident.