A 21-foot skiff traveling between Juneau and Petersburg, Alaska, ran out of fuel and radioed for help just after 9:30 p.m. on Monday, Aug. 3. The vessel that came to the rescue wasn't the nearly 400-foot superyacht floating nearby — it was a small expedition cruise ship carrying tourists.
The U.S. Coast Guard reviewed the call and, by about 9:56 p.m., determined the skiff was not in formal distress, issuing a marine assistance request broadcast rather than a mayday. The Wilderness Legacy, an UnCruise Adventures ship, answered, towing the skiff to sheltered Farragut Bay and refueling it. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg's yacht Launchpad, an approximately 387-foot vessel built by Feadship and valued near $390 million, was reportedly closer to the stranded boat but did not respond to the broadcast.
Why the yacht didn't answer
According to Zuckerberg's spokesperson, the Launchpad's crew was monitoring a different radio channel than the one used for the Coast Guard's broadcast, and only reviewed the contact after the Wilderness Legacy's assist was already underway. Zuckerberg and his family were not aboard at the time, the spokesperson said.
"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."
Zuckerberg spokesperson, via CBS News
The episode still landed as a public-relations headache. Passengers aboard the Wilderness Legacy reportedly reacted with booing after the ship's captain told them Zuckerberg's yacht had been closer to the stranded skiff and had not answered the radio call. The story has since been picked up widely, from NBC News to entertainment outlets, feeding a familiar narrative about the ultra-wealthy's superyachts.
No injuries were reported, and the Coast Guard has not announced any further action. But the mismatch between the billionaire's inaction and the small tour operator's response has kept the story circulating days after it happened.