First Look at “Lieutenant Dan” Following His Survival of Hurricane Milton on a Boat
The obstinate sailor is still alive.
This is the first time that the man known as “Lieutenant Dan” has been sighted since Hurricane Milton.
As the storm pummeled Florida, Joseph Malinowski had refused to abandon his boat in Tampa Bay. In addition to leaving more than three million people without power as evacuation plans were implemented, the catastrophic weather has claimed lives in the Sunshine State.
Before making landfall as a Category 3 storm with powerful gusts of 120 mph south of Tampa, Milton grew to a potentially fatal Category 5 hurricane.
The one-legged sailor, however, disregarded the advise to take cover inside and remained in his boat in the face of all this commotion and terror.
The unyielding sailor was not giving up.
Malinowski, who went viral on TikTok, said that he felt safest where he could be and that “God told [him] to come out here and get a boat.”
But, his newfound internet followers were concerned for the man’s life as they awaited updates to find out if he survived the storm as it battered Florida last night (9 October).
Brian Entin, a News Nation correspondent, decided to take matters into his own hands and went to the bay to look for Malinowski.
Entin shared a video with X that he titled, “Lieutenant Dan is okay!” The footage showed that the storm had driven a lot of the water away from the wharf where the yacht was tethered.
After a few calls for him from Entin, the top parted and the obstinate sailor’s head emerged.
Lieutenant Dan is doing well!
In a somewhat casual tone, Malinowski said, “I’m fine.” However, glancing around at the low water, he said, “At the moment, I’m doing great. I can’t move anywhere; I’m stuck here.
At 4:39 a.m. this morning, a different user posted a TikTok of the “weather warrior,” demonstrating that he is still alive after the storm.
Several expressed happiness that he had survived, saying they had been checking their phones “every hour for a Lieutenant Dan update.”
Some made fun of the reporter, saying he was “having the best sleep of his life” when she “woke him up.”
The storm caused severe damage to Florida.
Before the hurricane made landfall, police made an attempt to “save” Malinowski, but the man would not heed official counsel and would not leave his boat for anything.
Cathie Perkins, the emergency management director of Pinellas County, which is located on the peninsula that surrounds Tampa Bay, had declared, “This is it, folks,” before to the storm’s arrival. This is going to be a knockout for any of you who were hit hard by Hurricane Helene. It is imperative that you leave immediately.