Mark Zuckerberg’s $300 million superyacht has found itself at the centre of an unexpected controversy. The yacht has come under scrutiny after it allegedly failed to respond to calls for assistance during a midnight rescue off the Alaska coast.
Cruise ship passengers actually booed the billionaire after his massive yacht did nothing to help
Zuckerberg’s 387-foot yacht, Launchpad, was reportedly closer to a 21-foot skiff that ran out of fuel between Petersburg and Juneau. Despite being nearby, the yacht allegedly declined to assist when another vessel called for help.
According to the Alaska Beacon, the Wilderness Legacy, a 192-foot cruise ship operated by UnCruise Adventures, stepped in to help the stranded vessel. They towed the skiff to a sheltered area before refuelling it. A spokeswoman for UnCruise, Sarah Scoltock, told the outlet, “The next day the (Wilderness Legacy’s) captain, Sean Manske, contacted them and received word they made it safely to Petersburg.”
Michael Love, who was aboard the cruise ship, said passengers voiced their disappointment over the billionaire’s yacht. He said, “There was near unanimous booing when the captain announced this.” And further added, “Frankly, if I [were] Mark Zuckerberg I would be absolutely ecstatic at a chance to do something helpful for someone in need and maybe get some good PR out of it.”
The U.S. Coast Guard clarified that while there was a general request for assistance, no distress call was made by a boat, TMZ reports.
Zuckerberg’s representative addressed the claims, saying, “Mark and his family were not on board at the time of the incident. 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. We’re grateful all parties are safe.”
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