Joseph Malinowski, who earned the nickname “Lieutenant Dan” for refusing to leave his boat ahead of Hurricane Milton, much like the Forrest Gump character of the same name, has survived the storm.
Joseph Malinowski, 54, went viral ahead of Hurricane Helene when TikTok user Tampa Terrance shared a video of him refusing to leave his 20-foot sailboat as the massive storm approached. After weathering Helene with his boat docked near Tampa Bay, Malinoski ignored the pleas of authorities, politicians, and strangers to abandon the boat and seek safety away from Hurricane Milton.
In regular updates posted to TikTok by Tampa Terrance, the sailor didn’t waver from his belief that being on the water was the safest way to ride out the storm.
With more than 100 million combined views on all of his TikTok updates, Lieutenant Dan captured the hearts of America with his “spirit of a true pirate.” His new-found fans became wholeheartedly invested in his story and anxiously awaited news of his fate after Hurricane Milton exited Florida.
@terrenceconcannonDan is live with Adin Ross