The crew aboard Mark Zuckerberg’s yacht, Launchpad, did not initially hear a radio call for assistance from a small skiff stranded off the Alaska coast. By the time they were aware, a nearby vessel had already provided help, according to a spokesperson for the Meta CEO.
The Alaska Beacon reported that the skiff reached out for help through the U.S. Coast Guard. The nearby cruise ship, Wilderness Legacy, responded by towing the skiff into Farragut Bay in Southeast Alaska and refueling it. Despite being closer, Zuckerberg’s yacht did not respond to the call.
Michael Love, a passenger on the Wilderness Legacy, shared on Bluesky that their ship rescued the stranded vessel after the Coast Guard contacted Zuckerberg’s yacht. He noted the yacht was closer, yet did not respond, which resulted in “near unanimous booing” from passengers when the captain informed them of the situation.
The Alaska Beacon confirmed via an email that the Launchpad’s crew initially missed the call for assistance. Mark Zuckerberg and his family were not on board during the incident. The spokesperson explained that the yacht wasn’t aware of the distress call as they were monitoring a different radio channel. By the time they found out, the rescue was already in progress. The spokesperson expressed gratitude that all individuals involved were safe.