On August 3, a 21-foot skiff ran out of fuel between Juneau and Petersburg, Alaska, prompting a distress call that was initially directed to the U.S. Coast Guard. The Coast Guard issued a marine assistance broadcast, which was later answered by the Wilderness Legacy, a cruise ship operated by UnCruise Adventures. The cruise ship towed the skiff to Farragut Bay.
Mark Zuckerberg’s 387-foot yacht, The Launchpad, was in the vicinity at the time but did not respond to the call for assistance, according to a passenger on the Wilderness Legacy. Michael Love, who was aboard the cruise ship with his son, posted on social media that the yacht’s crew failed to acknowledge repeated radio requests. Love stated that the captain announced the yacht’s lack of response, which was met with near-unanimous booing from passengers.
A spokesperson for Zuckerberg, Brian Baker, told Forbes and CBS News that The Launchpad was operating on a different radio channel and had not received the Coast Guard’s broadcast. Baker added that by the time the yacht’s crew reviewed the Coast Guard’s contact, the skiff had already been assisted by the Wilderness Legacy. The Coast Guard confirmed that the skiff was not in distress at the time of the call.
Zuckerberg was not aboard The Launchpad during the incident, according to his spokesperson. The yacht, built in 2024 at an estimated cost of $300 million, can host up to 24 guests. Vessel-tracking data cited by the Alaska Beacon showed the cruise ship maneuvering around The Launchpad before towing the skiff to safety.
The Coast Guard’s role in the incident was limited to issuing the initial assistance broadcast. The agency did not directly engage with the skiff or The Launchpad beyond the initial coordination. The Wilderness Legacy, which responded to the call, is a small-ship expedition cruise vessel designed for Alaska’s coastal waters.
The differing accounts—between the passenger’s social media post and Zuckerberg’s spokesperson—center on whether The Launchpad had the opportunity to respond. The spokesperson emphasized the yacht’s operational constraints, while the passenger’s statement suggests the yacht was aware of the call but chose not to act. No further statements have been issued by Zuckerberg or representatives of UnCruise Adventures beyond those already provided.