“From Fight to Float: Lieutenant Dan Reveals the Stormy Journey That Led Him to a Life Aboard After Surviving Hurricane Milton”
What does it take to be a truly dedicated sailor? For Joseph Malinowski, affectionately dubbed ‘Lieutenant Dan’ by his newfound fans, it means sticking by your trusty boat—even when a hurricane is pounding the coast. Yes, you read that right! Instead of joining the crowd heading for safety as Hurricane Milton barreled towards Tampa Bay, this 54-year-old adventurer decided the best place to ride out the storm was aboard his beloved sailboat. With winds howling and the waters churning, Malinowski claimed divine purpose in his choice, asserting that “God told [him] to come out here and get a boat.” It’s a story that raises more than a few eyebrows and tugs at the heartstrings—part comedy, part testament to unwavering faith. Curious about how he survived the brunt of the storm and the viral fame that followed? Well, grab a life jacket and let’s dive into the high seas of this wild adventure! LEARN MORE.
The man nicknamed ‘Lieutenant Dan’ has explained how he came to live on a boat as he emerges from surviving Hurricane Milton.
Quickly going viral, Joseph Malinowski is the stubborn sailor who refused to leave his boat in Tampa Bay as the dangerous storm pounded Florida this week.
As per CBS, there have been at least 16 deaths attributed to the storm with millions in the Sunshine State still without power following the severe weather.
Luckily, by yesterday afternoon (10 October), Milton was headed into the Atlantic Ocean as a post-tropical cyclone with winds of 75mph – just barely hurricane force.
But while it was at its worst and people were encouraged to evacuate as others sought shelter, Malinowski decided to remain on his trusty sailboat – thankfully surviving.
Joseph Malinowski wasn’t budging (Spencer Platt/Getty Images)
Refusing to budge, he’d claimed ‘God told [him] to come out here and get a boat’ as he was sure he was in the safest place possible.
When reporters checked in with the 54-year-old yesterday morning following the worst of the storm, the bloke was pretty unfazed.
Despite his boat being repeatedly slammed against the harbour wall at points, he called it all ‘pretty mellow’.
“I’m not scared of anything,” he told CBS News. Malinowski apparently remained calm during the dangerous situation and he credits his faith for that – something he lives by.
He explained how five years ago, he left Colorado and moved to Florida and believes God told him ‘to come here’.
“I’ve been in Florida for five years, stuck on the East Coast,” the man said. “… I found this boat for 1,200 bucks. I bought it. I come to Tampa, and guess what? Can’t flood, not today, not yesterday.”
He decided his boat was where to be (TikTok/@terrenceconcannon)
Earning the nickname ‘Lieutenant Dan’ from followers, his story went viral on TikTok as he explained the decision to stay on his beloved boat.
“I put my faith in God. I don’t put my faith in man,” he explained. “God told me to come out here and get a boat. I came out here and got a boat. Everything he’s been telling me the last few days, I’m doing the right thing. He got my back. I’m in good shape. I ain’t sweating it.”
Terrence Concannon, a University of Tampa student known online as ‘Tampa Terrence’, first shared Malinowski’s story online and created a fundraising campaign for the sailor to get him a new boat.
There is however some controversy due to the sailor’s lengthy criminal history. But Concannon says money will help go towards Malinowksi’s ‘everyday living expenses and his general livelihood’.
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