Zuckerberg spokesperson says his yacht did not hear call for maritime assist

A spokesman for Mark Zuckerberg said the crew of his 387-foot Launchpad yacht did not immediately respond to a maritime radio call for help from a small 21-foot Hewescraft vessel that ran out of fuel off Alaska. The U.S. Coast Guard later determined the Hewescraft was not in distress, and it was towed to Farragut Bay by the Wilderness Legacy cruise ship, which also helped it refuel. A marine law expert, Ian Ralby of Auxilium Worldwide, said legal obligations can differ depending on whether a situation meets the threshold for distress. Attention grew after a cruise passenger posted on social media alleging the yacht refused to help; Zuckerberg’s spokesman Brian Baker said the crew only reviewed the Coast Guard contact after the assistance was already underway.