Mark Zuckerberg is under scrutiny following reports that his yacht’s crew, owned by the Meta CEO, allegedly did not respond to a distress call from another vessel off the coast of Alaska last week. The Alaska Beacon stated that on August 3, a small skiff in need of assistance due to running out of fuel issued a distress call through the U.S. Coast Guard. The nearby small cruise ship, the Wilderness Legacy, came to the skiff’s aid and towed it to Farragut Bay in southeast Alaska.
According to maritime law expert Ian Ralby, ships are obligated to assist in response to distress calls unless it poses a risk to their own safety. Ralby emphasized the importance of protecting lives at sea, given the dangers involved in maritime situations.
Despite being closer, Zuckerberg’s yacht, named Launchpad, did not respond to the distress call. A spokesperson for Zuckerberg explained to the Alaska Beacon that the crew did not hear the call initially, and once they were aware, another nearby vessel had already provided assistance.
The spokesperson clarified that the Coast Guard confirmed the skiff was not in distress, and when the crew eventually received the distress call on a different radio channel, help was already on the way. The spokesperson also mentioned that Zuckerberg and his family were not present on the yacht during the incident.
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