The crew of a yacht owned by Mark Zuckerberg did not hear a radio call for a maritime assist from a small skiff that ran out of fuel off the coast of Alaska, and by the time it did, another nearby ship had already rendered assistance, a spokesperson for the Meta CEO said.
The Alaska Beacon reported that the skiff had issued a call for assistance through the U.S. Coast Guard last week and a nearby small cruise ship, the Wilderness Legacy, towed it into nearby Farragut Bay in Southeast Alaska and refueled it.
Every ship is obligated to respond to a distress call under maritime law unless doing so would put their own ship at risk.
Although it was closer, Zuckerberg's yacht, called Launchpad, had not responded to the call.
“I’m on a small-ship Alaska cruise with my son,” Michael Love, a passenger who said he was on the Wilderness Legacy cruise ship, wrote on Bluesky on Aug. 5.
“Our boat rescued a stranded vessel last night and apparently we did that after the Coast Guard radioed Mark Zuckerberg’s yacht — which was closer — and they repeatedly refused to respond. (There was near unanimous booing when the captain announced this),” he said.
The Alaska Beacon reported that the spokesperson told them via email on Sunday that the yacht Launchpad did not initially hear the call for assistance.
“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," the email to the Alaska Beacon said.
FILE - Mark Zuckerberg talks about the Orion AR glasses during the Meta Connect conference on Sept. 25, 2024, in Menlo Park, Calif. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vasquez, File)
BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) — A powerful 7.4-magnitude earthquake struck western Colombia on Monday, causing serious damage to buildings in the region and prompting evacuations as far away as in the capital, Bogota. The regional governor said there had been an unspecified number of injuries.
The epicenter was in San Jose Del Palmar, a community of about 4,800 people in the Choco region about 250 miles (400 kilometers) west of Bogota, the U.S. Geological Survey and Colombia’s counterpart reported. The USGS said it struck at a depth of 66 miles (107 kilometers).
The quake also was felt in neighboring Ecuador.
Choco Gov. Nubia Córdoba said on social media that “there are injuries and serious damage to buildings" in the regional capital of Quibdó, a city of about 130,000 people. She didn't provide further details.
Footage shared by local media outlets showed homes and small buildings collapsing in the cities of Pereira, Cali and Quibdo. In Manizales, a city about 190 miles (300 kilometers) west of Bogota, one of the towers of the neo-Gothic cathedral collapsed and fell on the nave.
In Cali, a city 2 million people, Mayor Alejandro Eder said that residents were trapped in at least 19 buildings that had collapsed.
Small earthquakes, known as “temblores,” are common in central and western Colombia, but those above 6.0 magnitude are rare. In 1999, a 6.2 magnitude quake near the city of Armenia, killed more than 1,100 people.
Colombian President Abelardo de la Espriella said in a post on X that he will personally supervise recovery efforts and install an emergency center in San Jose del Palmar.
The quake follows two back-to-back 7.2 and 7.5 magnitude earthquakes in Venezuela in late June. Those earthquakes destroyed hundreds of buildings and killed more than 5,000 people.
Government workers stand outside their office buildings in Panama City, Monday, Aug. 10, 2026, after feeling an earthquake with an epicenter in neighboring Colombia. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix)
People leave their homes after a quake was felt in Bogota, Colombia, Monday, Aug. 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Ivan Valencia)
A man leaves an apartment building after an earthquake struck Cali, Colombia, Monday, Aug. 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Santiago Saldarriaga)
People stand outside their homes after a quake was felt in Bogota, Colombia, Monday, Aug. 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Fernando Vergara)
People stand outside their homes after a quake was felt in Bogota, Colombia, Monday, Aug. 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Ivan Valencia)
Government workers stand outside their office buildings in Panama City, Monday, Aug. 10, 2026, after feeling an earthquake with an epicenter in neighboring Colombia. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix)
People stand outside their homes after a quake was felt in Bogota, Colombia, Monday, Aug. 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Ivan Valencia)
People stand outside their homes after a quake was felt in Bogota, Colombia, Monday, Aug. 10, 2026. (AP Photo/John Wilson Vizcaino)
