Zuckerberg's yacht crew did not hear distress call, spokesperson says

The crew of a yacht owned by Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg reportedly did not respond to a call for maritime assistance from a small skiff that had run out of fuel near Alaska. By the time the yacht's crew became aware of the situation, another vessel had already provided aid.

The skiff issued a call for help through the U.S. Coast Guard. The small cruise ship Wilderness Legacy responded, towing the skiff to safety and providing fuel. Passengers on the Wilderness Legacy reported that Zuckerberg's yacht, the Launchpad, was closer to the stranded vessel but did not respond to repeated calls.

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Our boat rescued a stranded vessel last night and apparently we did that after the Coast Guard radioed Mark Zuckerberg’s yacht, which was closer, and they repeatedly refused to respond.

A spokesperson for Zuckerberg stated that he and his family were not on board during the incident. The spokesperson explained via email that the yacht's crew did not initially hear the Coast Guard's call on their operating radio channel. By the time they reviewed the contact on a different channel, the assistance was already underway. The spokesperson expressed gratitude that all parties were safe.

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Mark and his family were not on board at the time of the incident. As the Coast Guard noted, the boat was not in distress, and by the time the crew reviewed the Coast Guard contact on a different radio channel from the one they were operating on, the assist was already underway. We’re grateful all parties are safe.