A yacht belonging to Facebook co-founder Mark Zuckerberg reportedly did not respond immediately to a distress call from a stranded skiff off the coast of Alaska, despite the U.S. Coast Guard determining that the boat was not in immediate danger. The incident, which occurred on August 3, gained attention after a passenger on a nearby cruise ship claimed that Zuckerberg's yacht had "refused" to respond. However, a maritime law expert argued that the crew may not have been legally obligated to provide assistance as the boat was not in distress. The Coast Guard stated that they determined within half an hour of the skiff's call for help that it was not in immediate danger and broadcasted a marine assistance request on their behalf, which was responded to by the Wilderness Legacy cruise ship. It is unclear whether Zuckerberg and his family were aboard the yacht at the time of the incident. The Coast Guard veteran Aaron Davenport noted that running out of fuel is not typically considered an emergency, and ships are under no obligation to assist other vessels in such situations. Ian Ralby, a maritime law expert and president of the nonprofit Auxilium Worldwide, stated that while both scenarios require assistance, the legal obligations to respond are different, comparing it to calling AAA versus 911. Ralby added that there was no immediate threat to life or the marine environment during this incident.