A spokesperson for Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has addressed reports regarding his yacht, Launchpad, and its alleged failure to assist a small skiff that had run out of fuel off the coast of Alaska last week. According to the spokesperson, the yacht's crew did not hear the initial radio request for a maritime assist. By the time the crew became aware of the situation and reviewed the contact from the US Coast Guard, the assistance process was already underway by another vessel.
The incident, which took place in south-east Alaska, prompted questions regarding why the superyacht reportedly declined to help the stranded boat, despite being closer to the skiff than other vessels. Reports from the Alaska Beacon indicated that the skiff had issued a call for help through the US Coast Guard. A nearby small cruise ship, the Wilderness Legacy, ultimately responded to the call, towing the skiff into Farragut Bay where it was refueled.
A passenger aboard the Wilderness Legacy had claimed on social media that authorities radioed Zuckerberg's yacht, but that the vessel "repeatedly refused to respond." Addressing these claims, the Meta spokesperson clarified that Zuckerberg and his family were not on board the yacht at the time of the incident. The spokesperson further explained that the crew had been monitoring a different radio channel than the one used for the distress call. "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," the spokesperson stated in an email.
