Alaska skiff rescued by tour boat after nearby yacht did not respond to Coast Guard call
A Coast Guard-requested rescue off Alaska was carried out by a 42-year-old tour vessel after a nearby private yacht failed to answer the radio call, prompting public criticism.
The U.S. Coast Guard received a distress call at about 9:30 p.m. on Aug. 3 when a 21-foot skiff ran out of fuel between Petersburg and Juneau, Alaska. After determining the vessel was not in immediate danger, the agency broadcast a marine assistance request on its behalf. The first vessel to respond was the Wilderness Legacy, a 42-year-old tour boat that towed the skiff to Farragut Bay.
According to the tour boat’s captain, Mark Zuckerberg’s 387-foot yacht, Launchpad, was closer to the stranded skiff but did not answer the radio call. A passenger on the tour boat posted on Bluesky that the crew’s announcement prompted “near unanimous booing.”
Zuckerberg’s spokesperson, Brian Baker, said the yacht’s crew became aware of the situation only after the Coast Guard had already initiated the rescue on a different radio channel. He added that neither Zuckerberg nor his family were aboard the yacht at the time and expressed gratitude that all parties were safe.
The incident highlights obligations under the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea, which sets standards for maritime assistance.