Mark Zuckerberg is under scrutiny following reports that his yacht’s crew did not respond to a distress call from a stranded vessel off the coast of Alaska last week. The incident involved a small skiff that had run out of fuel and issued a call for help on Aug. 3, which was answered by the nearby small cruise ship, the Wilderness Legacy, towing the skiff to safety in Farragut Bay in southeast Alaska.
According to maritime law expert Ian Ralby, ships are obligated to assist in distress situations at sea to prevent loss of life. Despite being closer to the skiff, Zuckerberg’s yacht, named Launchpad, did not respond to the call for help. A spokesperson for Zuckerberg explained that the crew did not hear the distress call initially and that by the time they were aware, another nearby ship had already provided assistance.
The spokesperson further clarified that the Coast Guard confirmed the skiff was not in distress, and the crew of Zuckerberg’s yacht had switched radio channels when the distress call was made. Zuckerberg and his family were not present on the yacht during the incident.