Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s $300 million superyacht has come under criticism after reports claimed it did not respond to requests to assist a disabled boat off the coast of Alaska, leaving another vessel to carry out the rescue.

According to the Alaska Beacon, the 387-foot yacht Launchpad did not respond after a 21-foot skiff ran out of fuel Monday night while traveling between Petersburg and Juneau. Instead, the nearby cruise ship Wilderness Legacy altered course and came to the stranded boat’s aid.

During the rescue operation, the captain of the Wilderness Legacy reportedly informed passengers that Zuckerberg’s yacht had been closer to the disabled vessel but had “refused” to assist, according to one passenger aboard the cruise.

The announcement reportedly drew a strong reaction from those on board.

“There was near unanimous booing when the captain announced this,” according to a Bluesky post by vacationer Michael Love.

The U.S. Coast Guard said it received the skiff’s call for assistance at approximately 9:30 p.m. Monday.

After evaluating the situation, the Coast Guard concluded that the vessel was not in immediate distress but issued a marine assistance broadcast roughly 30 minutes later requesting help from nearby boats.

Marine tracking data cited by the Alaska Beacon indicated that the Wilderness Legacy, operated by UnCruise Adventures, was actually farther from the stranded skiff than Launchpad when the assistance request was issued.

The same tracking information reportedly showed the cruise ship passing Zuckerberg’s yacht on its way to assist the disabled vessel while the superyacht remained in place.

The Wilderness Legacy ultimately towed the skiff to the safety of protected waters in Farragut Bay.

A spokesperson for Zuckerberg disputed any suggestion that he or his family were involved, emphasizing that neither was aboard the yacht at the time and explaining that the crew did not immediately receive the Coast Guard’s communication.

“Mark and his family were not on board at the time of the incident,” the statement provided to the Beacon 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. We’re grateful all parties are safe.”

{Matzav.com}