- Mark Zuckerberg has faced questions over why his superyacht, Launchpad, reportedly declined to assist a stranded skiff in Alaska, despite being closer than the responding cruise ship.
- The 21-foot skiff ran out of fuel between Juneau and Petersburg, Alaska, last Monday evening, and called the Coast Guard around 9:30 p.m.
- By 9:56 p.m., the Coast Guard issued a marine assistance request broadcast, which was ignored by Zuckerberg's yacht.
- The Wilderness Legacy cruise ship responded and towed the skiff to Farragut Bay.
- A passenger on the cruise claimed that the captain announced Zuckerberg's yacht was closer and had repeatedly refused to respond, leading to near unanimous booing.
- Brian Baker, a spokesperson for Zuckerberg, stated that Zuckerberg was not onboard and the crew was on a different radio channel.
- Baker also noted that the assist was already underway when the crew reviewed the broadcast.
Mark Zuckerberg's superyacht, Launchpad, faced backlash after it reportedly declined to assist a stranded 21-foot skiff in Alaska, despite being closer than a responding cruise ship.12
The incident occurred last Monday evening when the skiff ran out of fuel between Petersburg and Juneau. The Coast Guard received a distress call around 9:30 p.m. and subsequently issued a marine assistance request broadcast at 9:56 p.m.3
A passenger on the cruise ship Wilderness Legacy, operated by UnCruise Adventures, claimed that the captain announced Zuckerberg's yacht was closer, leading to “near unanimous booing” from passengers.4
Brian Baker, a spokesperson for Zuckerberg and his wife, Priscilla Chan, stated that the couple were not onboard at the time of the incident. He explained that the yacht's crew was operating on a different radio channel and that assistance was already underway when they reviewed the broadcast. Baker expressed gratitude that all parties involved were safe.
The incident has sparked significant negative attention on social media, with some locals expressing their disdain for Zuckerberg's yacht, which they described as an “excessive eyesore.”
The Wilderness Legacy successfully towed the skiff back to Farragut Bay, highlighting the contrasting responses to the emergency situation.
“Fuck Zuckerberg,” one local resident expressed in response to the rescue story.
The incident raises questions about the responsibilities of yacht owners in emergency situations, especially when they are in close proximity to those in need of assistance.
“The 21-foot skiff called the Coast Guard around 9:30 p.m., and by 9:56 p.m. the Coast Guard determined they were not in distress and issued a marine assistance request broadcast. The cruise ship Wilderness Legacy towed the skiff to Farragut Bay, while a passenger reported near unanimous booing when the captain announced the yacht's refusal.”
The Guardian
Forbes
