Zuckerberg's superyacht did not respond to Coast Guard aid request off Alaska
U.S. Coast Guard officials said the launch of Mark Zuckerberg's yacht Launchpad failed to answer a marine assistance broadcast, while a spokesperson attributed the delay to a channel mismatch.
A Coast Guard broadcast on August 3 asked nearby vessels to assist a stranded 21-foot skiff near Point Highland, Alaska. The request was transmitted on the international emergency frequency, channel 16. Although the yacht Launchpad, owned by Mark Zuckerberg, and its support vessel Wingman were in the vicinity, neither vessel responded before another cruise ship, the Wilderness Legacy, rescued the skiff and towed it to Farragut Bay.
The Coast Guard later clarified that the stranded boat was not in distress, meaning nearby ships were not legally required to render aid. The agency’s statement did not mention Launchpad.
"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," a spokesperson for the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative said.
Senator Sheldon Whitehouse criticized the incident, noting that vessels are required to monitor channel 16 continuously.
"Vessels are supposed to monitor channel 16 at all times, for this exact purpose. Billionaires don’t follow that rule either?" Whitehouse wrote on Facebook.
AIS tracking data showed Launchpad slowing and stopping while the Wilderness Legacy passed it, and Wingman moving past both ships without stopping. Experts familiar with maritime communications said modern vessels typically have multiple VHF radios that automatically monitor the emergency channel, making the explanation of a missed broadcast appear weak.
Zuckerberg and his family were not aboard Launchpad at the time, according to the initiative’s spokesperson. The incident sparked discussion about the responsibilities of large private vessels operating in U.S. waters.